Set a year after a school shooting, The Graduates is a poignant exploration of grief, healing, and the search for meaning in the wake of tragedy. Hannah Peterson’s deeply personal direction captures the raw, unspoken moments of resilience that define teenage life, while the intimate, naturalistic cinematography draws viewers into the fragile beauty of the everyday. Produced by Jon Cho and Chloé Zhao and anchored by quietly powerful performances, this deeply moving film invites us to sit with the weight of loss and the courage it takes to imagine a way forward.

Premiering at Sundance and gaining cult-classic status thanks to its infectious theme song “Watermelon,” popularized on TikTok, Dinner in America is unapologetically quirky, rebellious, and fun. Simon, a fiery punk rocker on the run, stumbles into the life of Patty, an eccentric dreamer stuck in suburban monotony. Together, these two outcasts set the world ablaze—one irreverent, electrifying moment at a time. With razor-sharp wit, a pulse-pounding soundtrack, and a “Napoleon Dynamite meets Heathers” charm, Adam Rehmeier’s genre-defying triumph grows on you, leaving you cheering for their unlikely love.

Poland’s submission to the Oscars, Under the Volcano is an intimate and evocative story of survival and connection. Stranded in paradise as their homeland is torn apart, a Ukrainian family grapples with displacement, guilt, and the unrelenting pull of home. Against the sun-drenched beauty of Tenerife, teenage Sofiia forges a tentative bond with a young man who crossed the sea from West Africa—a journey of desperation and loss that mirrors her own family’s upheaval. Damian Kocur delivers a poignant exploration of migration, resilience, and the quiet strength it takes to rebuild in the face of profound loss.