If you’re feeling some film festival withdrawal after Tribeca but can’t afford a ticket to Cannes, don’t worry, the Soho International Film Festival starts this weekend.  Now in its fifth year, the festival is a small but growing presence on the city’s festival circuit and is another step towards the glorious future in which every neighborhood in the city has its own festival.  I’m not being sarcastic - I would love it if there were a Turtle Bay Film Festival.

While I have nothing against the bigger festivals, as more and more Hollywood stars and corporate sponsors flock to NYFF and Tribeca, it’s really the smaller festivals like Soho that are fulfilling the original mission of film festivals – to give a platform for truly independent filmmakers and allow audiences exposure to voices outside of the mainstream.  So you might not have heard of any of these films yet, but who knows what film might strike a chord with audiences and become a hit.  Here’s a quick look at a few films making their New York premieres.

"Growing Up and Other Lies" – A struggling artist decides to leave his adopted home of New York City to take care of his older father in Ohio.  But before he leaves, he gathers his friends to recreate a seminal moment in their history – walking the length of Manhattan in one day.  Starring Adam Brody and Wyatt Cenac. Watch the trailer here.

"The Fix" - A documentary set in the Bronx about life after heroin addiction.  Combining personal narratives with a look at new programs at a methadone clinic, the film highlights the power of storytelling as an agent of change and the importance of building community to solve problems. Watch the trailer here.

"Down River" – A story of three young female artists who live in the same building with the older Pearl, a nurturing and stabilizing force in their lives.  When Pearl unexpectedly leaves, they must navigate a more independent future to find personal happiness and artistic fulfillment. Watch the trailer here.

"Night Has Settled" – In 1983 New York, 13-year-old Oliver Nicolas is trying to enter manhood while surrounded by women.  He is thrown into a crisis when the most maternal woman in his life, his Chilean housekeeper, has a stroke, and he is left to fend for himself in the neverending drama of teenage life.

The Soho International Film Festival runs from May 15 - 22. Click here for the complete lineup.