DOWNBEAT / "Dropping Off"

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL: Created by and for Los Angeles–based independent filmmakers, RSFF is a non-competitive festival that brings bold, distinctive work to the big screen—and brings the people behind it into the community. Across four days, filmmakers and audiences gather to discover new voices, pack theaters and build the relationships that sustain creative lives in Los Angeles. From October 7–10, RSFF presents 19 short films and three features at the Egyptian Theatre and Los Feliz 3. This year’s program was shaped by a committee of alumni filmmakers, industry professionals and experienced programmers, including Festival Directors Page Brady, Nir Liebenthal, Noah Morse, Jeremy Roth-Rose and Dylan Trupiano; filmmaker and RSFF alum Calleen Koh; documentary filmmaker Aurora Brachman; producer Nuer Taqa; programmer Lily Bolton; Unapologetic Projects Creative Executive Kyle Bowles; Book of Shadows producer and executive Nix Santos; and Imani Davis on behalf of the American Cinematheque. ABOUT THE FILMS: “Dropping Off,” 2026, Dir. Will Mayo & Ian Scott McGregor, 14 Min, USA An aspiring musician gigging as a rideshare driver struggles to navigate the bizarre request of a mourning passenger. FORMAT: DCP DOWNBEAT, 2026, Dir. Danny Madden, 91 Min, USA Fleeing mistakes in Atlanta, Mauro crashes on his sister’s couch in Boston. He takes to bucket drumming on the streets for a way out, but can’t stop screwing things up and drawing everyone else into his own feral shortcomings. DOWNBEAT is a defiantly independent production, crowd-funded via Kickstarter and shot entirely on a single camcorder, with a cast made up largely of real musicians and every note of bucket drumming recorded live. It had its World Premiere at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival, and was recently featured as an Unreleased Gem on the Letterboxd Video Store. FORMAT: DCP