The film “Shiva Baby” opens at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center on April 23. Continuing to show is “Stray.”

A ruefully funny calling card for debuting director Emma Seligman,”Shiva Baby,” transcends its sitcom setup with strong performances.

“Shiva Baby” follows Danielle (Rachel Sennott), a young, bisexual Jewish college student who goes to a shiva with her parents after spending the morning with her sugar daddy, Max (Danny Deferrari). What she doesn’t know is that this shiva will be where her life will dramatically collapse around her.

“Shiva Baby” shows at the Ross through May 6.

Trailer: "Shiva Baby'

“Stray” explores what it means to live as a being without status or security, following three strays as they embark on inconspicuous journeys through Turkish society. Zeytin, fiercely independent, embarks on adventures through the city at night; Nazar, nurturing and protective, easily befriends the humans around her; and Kartal, a shy puppy living on the outskirts of a construction site, finds companions in the security guards who care for her.

The strays’ disparate lives intersect when they each form intimate bonds with a group of young Syrians with whom they share the streets. Director Elizabeth Lo’s award-winning film is a critical observation of human civilization through the unfamiliar gaze of dogs and a sensory voyage into new ways of seeing.

“Stray” is showing at the Ross through April 29.

Trailer: "Stray"

Show times are available on the Ross website or by calling 402-472-5353.