Director Lindsay Ragone’s in-production doc Braingasm, dives into the newly Internet-driven research of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) and its potential therapeutic benefits. More info can be read as follows: “About the Documentary   Imagine an online community where strangers actively help each other battle insomnia, depression, and even loneliness through creative expression. This community exists; It's the ASMR community.   What is ASMR?   The term "autonomous sensory meridian response" (ASMR) is marked by a pleasurable tingling sensation often felt in the head. This can be triggered by anything from getting a haircut, hearing a paint brush against canvas, to listening to someone whisper. Not everyone feels it, but some of the lucky ones have joined together to create a social media movement that's changing lives.   BRAINGASM is a feature documentary that explores ASMR, the unique community surrounding it, and the scientific possibilities this phenomenon could provide.” Watch the teaser down at the bottom of this page. --- [embed width="640"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPJPSb-8q2I&feature=player_embedded[/embed] Teaser trailer for BRAINGASM. Braingasm, 2013 Facebook --- Lindsay Ragone

In Kyle Patrick Alvarez’ second feature film C.O.G., David Sedaris’ essay of the same title becomes the adapted centerpiece about a man who gets the chance to work on an Oregonian apple farm. Check out more in depth details after the jump! Background info about the narrative and director can be read as follows (via Sundance Film Festival 2013): “David has it all figured out. His plan—more a Steinbeckian dream—is to spend his summer working on an apple farm in Oregon with his best friend, Jennifer. When she bails out on him, David is left to dirty his hands alone, watched over by Hobbs, the old farm owner and the first in a series of questionable mentors he encounters. First there’s Curly, the friendly forklift operator with a unique hobby, and then Jon, the born-again rock hound who helps David in a time of need. This first film adaptation of David Sedaris’s work tells the story of a prideful young man and what’s left of him after all he believes is chipped away piece by piece.   With such beloved source material come great advantages and immense pressure. Writer/director Kyle Patrick Alvarez proves more than up to the challenge as he delivers a finely wrought story that remains true to both the author’s voice and his own. Jonathan Groff perfectly embodies David and imbues him with abundant wit that masks the uncertainty that he hides. C.O.G. is a funny and poignant portrait of a lost soul searching for himself among the amusing characters in life’s rich pageant. - T. G.   About the Director   In 2010, Kyle Patrick Alvarez won the Someone to Watch Award at the Independent Spirit Awards for his debut film, Easier with Practice. The film was also nominated for best first feature. Alvarez graduated from the University of Miami with degrees in film and English. He spent his first year in the film industry working for Warren Beatty. C.O.G. is his second feature film.” Jump down below to view a sneak peek interview with the film’s director. --- [embed width="640"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNT_nZY9oOw[/embed] Meet the Artist sneak peak for C.O.G. C.O.G., 2013 --- Kyle Patrick Alvarez Twitter

A young girl’s imaginative desperation to a nightmarish scenario gains more realistic weight than expected in Matthew Chuang’s Mathilda. Very cool short, check out more after the jump. Read more plot details as follows: “MATHILDA is an old-fashioned fairytale in a modern setting. MATHILDA is a ten-year-old girl who lives with a terrifying monster. Determined to save herself and her sister, MATHILDA forms a desperate plan inspired by her imagination, setting off a chain of events not even she could anticipate.” Watch the embedded short down at the bottom of this page. --- [embed width="640"]https://vimeo.com/45563799[/embed] Short film for MATHILDA. Mathilda, 2012 --- Matthew Chuang