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Filmmakers are only beginning to grapple with the upheaval caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and Robert James's "15 Days" is a strong entry in that genre. The film provides laugh-out-loud moments as two service workers - bartenders Lia and Kali - resort to increasingly outlandish schemes to stay afloat when their bar is shut down. Never passive victims, they fight back with words when they can, and fists when they have to.

The snappy dialog and quick pacing keep a heavy topic from becoming morose as the two women struggle from one sketchy part-time gig to another, never quite knowing who might be ready to help them and who might be ready to start shooting. When things start to look their bleakest, both characters draw on hidden, or previously unknown, talents to survive and even thrive. The two leads, Kenzie Marie and Cameron Bailey, share a goofy chemistry reminiscent of the best parts of "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion." Through it all, they keep their chins up and keep fighting. Some of the smaller roles stand out as well, including a gambler with Melissa McCarthy levels of comic vitriol.

James makes the visuals dynamic, with tracking camera moves through varied locations, and scenes broken logically into component shots (accomplishments not every indie production can manage.) As director and cinematographer, he pulls double duty with aplomb. Watch this one if you want some silly laughs, and to be reminded of the compromises most of us made in those strange early months of 2020.

Artist Unknown is a smart, engaging love story with the added spice of a mysterious painting and sharp martial arts action. The two leads, played by Kerry Lacy and Sonia Mena, draw you in with their personal chemistry and their tough-and-tender journey through crime, messy relationships, and barely making it in New York. The cinematography and Brooklyn locations help propel the narrative, and the fight sequences are convincing and well paced. The twists and turns in the story keep you guessing the whole way-in an indie film, is anybody ever truly safe?

Making an independent film is a huge challenge, and writer-director Cinder Chou has delivered Artist Unknown with pizazz and polish!

Creating Extraction, USA from the ground up as an independent feature film was one of the toughest tasks any of us ever attempted. Like most indie film crews, we put in some long days and endured all sorts of uncertainty about locations, vehicles, and funding. We kept working because we believed in this story of two women who join together against desperate odds to take control of their lives. On one level the film is about crime and action, but if you look a little deeper, it says some interesting things about income inequality, the environment, and men and women in the workplace. The film is full of terrific performances by a big variety of talented actors.

Watch it if you like action/heist movies, gambling movies, or movies with strong women.