ALYSA NAHMIAS
“Cookie Queens,” the feature documentary from Alysa Nahmias will be released wide in theaters AUGUST 7 (U.S. and Canada) by Roadside Attractions. Premiering at Sundance, the film’s logline is: It’s Girl Scout Cookie season, and four tenacious girls strive to be a top-selling “Cookie Queen,” navigating an $800 million business in which innocence and ambition collide.
Follow Alysa on IG for more!
STEPHANIE SOTO
Stephanie Soto’s short film, “Against Nature” will have its premiere at the Hip Hop Film Fest in August. Previously recognized by the New York Movie Awards and International Gold Awards, the film follows a Brooklyn Jewish girl and a Southern Christian boy who collide in college, but when his past surfaces, conflict becomes an unexpected bond.
Learn more about Stephanie on IG.
LILA McLAUGHLIN
Lila McLaughlin’s Psychological Desert Horror-Thriller ‘DON’T LET THEM OUT’ will have a limited theatrical run through BUFFALO 8 in August and September. The elevated independent horror film marks the directorial debut for McLaughlin, who penned the original script. It blends psychological tension with slow-burn storytelling, where generational trauma and an abandoned desert property unleash an atmospheric nightmare with no way out.
The film made its world premiere at Cinequest Film Fest and east coast premiere at Soho Intl Film Festival before winning 3 Best Feature awards at Arizona Intl, LA Femme, and Dark Matter Film Festivals.
Follow Don’t Let Them Out on IG for more!
BEVERLY “BJ” ROUSE
“First Fruit,” a narrative short by Beverly “BJ” Rouse, will have its premiere at the 2026 LA Shorts Film Festival. Logline: In a quiet corner of Los Angeles, a guarded man who finds solace in tending his garden forms an unexpected bond with a vibrant neighbor whose poetry and generosity begin to transform his carefully protected life.
Purchase tickets HERE. (Laemmle NoHo Theatre; 5240 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601; Sunday, August 2, 2026 @1:00 PM)
Follow BJ on IG for more!