Give Up the Ghost

Sean is taken to a motel and is given a prostitute for his 18th birthday by his father. He must sleep with her to "fix" his questionable homosexuality. "Pretty Boy" is a coming of age story of a young bullied teen, Sean, struggling with his sexuality and the hardships of high school. After his father finds some questionable magazines in his room, this devout Christian will go to any lengths to get his son to find the light and "perform" the way a man should. Sean is introduced to Katie, a prostitute that understands the stigmas of modern society and helps him see the true light that is within him.

Fourteen-year-old Mo is a lonely, sensitive boy whose hunger for the rant and banter of buddies makes him prone to tread dangerous territories. He idolizes his handsome older brother, Rashid, a charismatic, well-respected member of a local gang, whose drug dealing enables “Rash” to provide for his family. Aching to be seen as a tough guy himself, Mo takes a job that unlocks a fateful turn of events and forces the brothers to confront their inner demons. It turns out that hate is easy. It is love and understanding that take real courage.

A woman's life takes an unexpected turn when she falls for her boss's wife. She must soon defend herself as she becomes entangled in a web of malice.

MMA legend Patton James, now a commercial fisherman, is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in danger. Reuniting with his old coach Sammy, he commits to one final fight in one championship against the brutal champion Xavier Grau.

The relationship of a couple who meet by chance in New York City is put to the test when they encounter a life or death circumstance.

Two popular teen boys, best friends since childhood, discover their lives, families, and girlfriends dramatically upended after an unexpected incident occurs on the night of a 17th birthday party.

Davey Gordon, a New York City boxer at the end of his career, falls for dancer Gloria Price. However, their budding relationship is interrupted by Gloria's violent boss, Vincent Rapallo, who has eyes for Gloria. The two decide to skip town, but before they can, Vincent and his thugs abduct Gloria, and Davey is forced to search for her among the most squalid corners of the city, with his enemy hiding in the shadows.

A destitute WWI veteran is hired to help carry out restoration work on a medieval mural in a rural Yorkshire church. While living in the quiet village, he forms a close friendship with an archaeologist and begins to come to terms with his trauma.

Two brothers develop a sexual attraction to one another amid the unkind world around them.

A noir thriller set in Miami, the film follows an enforcer who discovers his femme fatale boss has branched out into cyber sex trafficking, putting a young runaway he’s befriended at risk. He sacrifices everything to save the young girl from the deadly organization he’s spent his life building.

Evangelist Carlton Pearson is ostracized by his church for preaching that there is no Hell.

A nameless drifter navigates a barren landscape punctuated by satellite dishes, radio towers and droning airplanes. Stopping periodically in anonymous hotel rooms, she makes attempts to connect to an unidentified second party.

After months of living a solitary existence, Lenny, 34, picks up his kids from school. Every year he spends a couple of weeks with his sons Sage, 9, and Frey, 7. Lenny hosts his kids within a midtown studio apartment in New York. During these two weeks, he must figure out if he wants to act as their father or be their friend. Ultimately, their trip upstate results in complete lawlessness taking over their lives.

After Margaret, a divorcée living in Dublin, loses her teenage son, she develops an unorthodox relationship with Joe, a homeless youth. Their tentative trust is threatened by his involvement with a violent gang and the escalation of her ex-husband's grieving rage.

After reuniting with his mother in Ho Chi Minh City, a family tragedy causes Binh to flee from Viet Nam to America. Landing in New York, Binh begins a road trip to Texas, where his American father is said to live.

Early morning silence is broken by screeching tires as a helicopter bears down on a speeding vehicle. Taking a quick corner, the team tumbles out into the woods as their car pulls away. Now they must make their way through the thick of nature and thick gunfire to accomplish their mission. Not a single word of dialogue is spoken throughout the entire film. Instead, the music, sounds, images and deeply truthful acting turn a simple plot into an intense experience. Passion and intrigue keep building to the very end.

When Gabriel, a 7-year-old Chinese kid who loves ballet, becomes friends with Rob, another Chinese kid from school, Rob’s dad gets suspicious about Gabriel's feminine behavior and decides to intervene.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1991. High school freshman Charlie is a wallflower, always watching life from the sidelines, until two senior students, Sam and her stepbrother Patrick, become his mentors, helping him discover the joys of friendship, music and love.

When his aging mob boss is whacked, Charlie Swift, a loyal friend and hired gun, will stop at nothing to destroy the upcoming crew that took him out.

In New York City, a young girl is caught in the middle of her parents' bitter custody battle.

When a young girl loses her mother right before a game, it takes her teammates to help her pull through.

After the death of her mother, a disconnected daughter, Maggie, struggles to reconnect with her twin brother, Gabe, even though he's the only family she has left. As she pushes through the day of the funeral reception, her guilt for having left Gabe alone to tend to their mother in her final months begins to tangibly manifest itself in strange and horrifying ways. Maggie must now face her demons and accept responsibility for what she’s done, or forever be haunted by her past mistakes.

The college experience is not always as perfect as some school brochures may lead you to think. For some, making the transition from high school to college is easy, but for others it is difficult and confusing. Out of Black and White tells the story of Chris Lewis, a college graduate who is reflecting upon his days as a freshman. What he remembers is a time of academic stress, disorientation, and doubt. Laced with wisdom from the Old Testament, Out of Black and White zeros in on a precise target that promises hope and insight for anyone who has ever experienced a traumatic season of life.

A marriage proposal prompts Carolina to recall three previous relationships as she wanders through Manhattan.

Jennifer is a professional crying initiator, she helps people who can't cry in order to express their feelings. One day she has a young female client, Faye. Jennifer seduces Faye and they embark on a relationship till Faye finds out that Jennifer has a husband and a young daughter.

When a woman discovers she is pregnant with a baby girl, family and societal pressures force her to consider an abortion.

The Midnight Hour is about a grieving woman, whose hopes for marriage is re-ignited when the ghost of her dead fiance appears.

A look into the mind of a teenage girl as she reflects on her past mental health struggles.

A promising musical duo tries to avoid a meltdown before the biggest show of their career.

When Alex, a precious nine-year-old boy, develops a crush on Jared, the moody twenty-five-year-old handyman who works in the mansion where he lives, he will stop at nothing to get his attention.

Mr. Sugar Daddy depicts the story of a man looking for a fresh start. Hans falls for young Andrej and is thrown into a game that does not allow any winner.

A young girl follows her parents to a party where she experiences assorted grown-up rituals. As the evening progresses she finds the adults' behavior increasingly strange. Everyone tries to fit in, but not everyone succeeds.

A weary magician with an uncontrollable power must make a redemptive choice when confronted with the deepest secret of his past.

PAULONIUS FILM Presents: Naomi's Birthday

An artist struggles by not finding the way to finish his master piece.

The intrapersonal fragility of a psychologist's life is revealed as she helps others navigate through the issues in their own lives.

Steven Dillon, 18 years old and homeless, desperately tries to escape poverty by getting a job. When his older brother Anthony, a drug addict, offers him a "freelance job", Steven is manipulated into robbing a convenience store. Steven is now left with the decision to either continue following Anthony or to cut his blood bond, leaving his only brother and family behind forever for the sake of his own stability, future, and life.

A shy, lonely boy discovers his finger guns shoot real bullets, and tries to use this newfound ability to make friends.

The story of Matt, a bigoted yet loving father, coming to terms with the fact that his son, Lucas, is gay.

When a young teenager learns of his grandfather's memory sickness, he forces his father to meet with him, despite having bad family history.