The Little Theatre

EVERYTHING

RIGHT NOW AND COMING UP AT THE LITTLE

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Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary

Based on the blockbuster bestselling novel by Andy Weir. Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there.

The Christophers

The Christophers

From Steven Soderbergh. The estranged children of a once-famous artist hire a forger to complete his unfinished works so they can be “discovered” and sold after his death.

Mother Mary

Mother Mary

Writer/director David Lowery (A Ghost Story, The Green Knight) returns with this thriller/drama starring Anne Hathaway. The plot follows an iconic pop star—the titular Mother Mary—who reunites with her estranged best friend.

Michael

Michael

The story of pop superstar Michael Jackson — from his extraordinary early days in the Jackson 5 to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fuels a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world.

The Princess Diaries – Apr. 30 & May 3

The Princess Diaries – Apr. 30 & May 3

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LITTLE CRAFT NIGHT: Thursday, April 30 | TRADITIONAL SCREENING: Sunday, May 3 | Mia Thermopolis has just found out that she is the heir apparent to the throne of Genovia. With her friends Lilly and Michael Moscovitz in tow, she tries to navigate through the rest of her fifteenth year.

American Dream – May 1

American Dream – May 1

SPECIAL SCREENING | MAY DAY | Friday, May 1 at 7:30pm | A new 4k restoration of the acclaimed Academy Award-winning documentary, recounting the mid-1980s workers’ strike against the Hormel Foods meatpacking plant in Minnesota after its employees’ wages and benefits are cut. When the national branch of the union doesn’t endorse a strike, unexpected consequences arise for organized labor in the United States.

Steal This Story, Please!

Steal This Story, Please!

OPENS MAY 1 | SPECIAL ONE TAKE SCREENING APRIL 29 | A gripping portrait of the trailblazing journalist Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! As she takes on soldiers, politicians, and corporate media in a fearless pursuit of truth. Oscar-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin call us to action and celebrate resistance, posing the question: what happens to democracy when the press surrenders to power?

Hokum

Hokum

OPENS MAY 1 | When novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite.

Palestine ’36

Palestine ’36

OPENS MAY 1 | A Witness Palestine 2025 selection returns to The Little. In 1936, as the British Empire tightens its grip on Palestine, Yusuf is caught between his village home and his work in Jerusalem.

Flower Drum Song – May 2

Flower Drum Song – May 2

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WXXI CLASSICAL PRESENTS | Saturday, May 2 at 3:00pm | A young woman arrives in San Francisco’s Chinatown from Hong Kong with the intention of marrying a rakish nightclub owner, unaware he is involved with one of his singers. This adaptation of the 1958 Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical was the first major Hollywood feature to have a majority Asian-American cast in a contemporary Asian-American story.

Allegro Non Troppo – May 3

Allegro Non Troppo – May 3

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WORLD OF ANIMATION | Sunday, May 3 at 7:30pm | An enterprising producer believes he has hit upon a winning concept: a program of original animated shorts set to classical music. Undeterred by warnings that this has already been done by an American named ‘Prisney,’ he rallies an orchestra. What could go wrong?

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – May 4

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – May 4

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MAY THE FOURTH | Monday, May 4 at 7:00pm | In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. The story connecting “Andor” to “A New Hope.”

Red Dress Day: Indigenous Shorts – May 6

Red Dress Day: Indigenous Shorts – May 6

SCREENING & DISCUSSION | Wednesday, May 6 at 7:00pm | In observance of Red Dress Day, presenting two films by Indigenous directors, who will also join us for a panel discussion. Presented with the Rochester Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee.

Blue Heron

Blue Heron

OPENS MAY 8 | In the late 1990s, a family of six settles into their new home on Vancouver Island, as internal dynamics are slowly revealed through the experiences of the youngest child, Sasha. Their fresh start is interrupted by the increasingly dangerous behavior of Jeremy, the family’s oldest child. From writer/director Sophy Romvari.

The Stranger – May 8-9

The Stranger – May 8-9

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LIMITED RUN: May 8-9 | In French Algeria, Meursault drifts through life and love with mysterious detachment. When he
stands accused of murdering an Arab man, indifference is his only alibi in François Ozon’s
fresh take on Albert Camus’s classic novel.

Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light – May 10

Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light – May 10

SPECIAL SCREENING | Sunday, May 10 at 3:30pm | A new documentary exploring the life and art of one of the most important female artists of the 20th century. O’Keeffe became famous for her paintings of flowers, bones and emerged as an iconic role model for women, worldwide.

Aliens (1986) – May 10

Aliens (1986) – May 10

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MOTHER’S DAY | Sunday, May 10 at 7:00pm | Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.

Poetic Justice – May 11

Poetic Justice – May 11

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BLACK CINEMA SERIES | Monday. May 11 at 7:00pm | Grieving hairdresser Justice goes on a road trip from South Central L.A. to Oakland on a mail truck alongside her friend and an obnoxious postal worker. Starring Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, and Regina King. Written and Directed by John Singleton.

Coexistence, My Ass! – May 14 & 16

Coexistence, My Ass! – May 14 & 16

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ONE TAKE DOCUMENTARY | MAY 14 & 16 | Noam Shuster Eliassi grew up the literal poster child for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process before making a hard pivot to stand-up comedy and political satire. But as the region sinks deeper into devastating violence, she must meet the moment by challenging her audiences with hard truths that are no laughing matter.

Obsession

Obsession

OPENS MAY 15 | After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.

Omaha

Omaha

OPENS MAY 15 | A young girl and her brother are awoken by their father and loaded into the car on an early morning in 2008. As they road trip across the American West, she discovers the truth about their seemingly spontaneous journey, in this poignant, coming-of-age drama.

Billy Idol Should Be Dead – May 15-17

Billy Idol Should Be Dead – May 15-17

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LIMITED RUN: May 15-17 | Rock icon Billy Idol bares it all in this electrifying documentary: his emergence as a prototypical punk rocker, his meteoric rise as a global superstar in the MTC era, and the myriad of challenges Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain on of the most beloved figures in rock n roll.

Eraserheads: Combo on the Run – May 22-24

Eraserheads: Combo on the Run – May 22-24

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LIMITED RUN: May 22-24 | The Eraserheads remain the most important Filipino band of the past half-century. Despite their untimely dissolution in 2001, they have stayed part of the cultural zeitgeist. When they returned for the record- breaking reunion show Huling El Bimbo in 2022, a polarized nation united for at least one night. Part-procedural of a mammoth production and dissection of a relationship that is as celebrated as the music it yielded, this film is an unmissable testament to artistry and what it means to be human.

I Love Boosters

I Love Boosters

OPENS MAY 22 | The new Boots Riley film! A crew of professional shoplifters takes aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. Starring Keke Palmer and Naomi Ackie.

Paying For It – May 22-25

Paying For It – May 22-25

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LIMITED RUN: May 22-25 | When an introverted cartoonist’s girlfriend wants to redefine their relationship, he begins sleeping with sex workers and discovers a new kind of intimacy in the process. An adaptation of the Graphic Novel by Chester Brown, written and directed by Sook-Yin Lee.

Wasteman – May 28, 30 & June 1

Wasteman – May 28, 30 & June 1

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LIMITED RUN: May 28, May 30, and June 1 | Prison parolee Taylor’s pending release and fresh start dreams are jeopardized with the arrival of cellmate Dee. As Dee takes Taylor under his wing, a vicious attack tests their bond and forces Taylor to choose between protecting Dee and his own parole chances.

Backrooms

Backrooms

OPENS MAY 29 | A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom in this horror debut from Kane Parsons. The trailer is mysterious and creepy, and you should watch it right now! Renate Reinsve and Chiwetel Ejiofor star.

The Travel Companion – May 29-31

The Travel Companion – May 29-31

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LIMITED RUN: May 29-31 | LIVE Q&A with Producer Weston Auburn: Friday, May 29 at 7:30pm | A documentary filmmaker depends on his friend’s airline employee benefits for free flights. When the friend finds a girlfriend, he desperately tries to preserve his travel privileges.

Tuner

Tuner

OPENS MAY 29 | A gifted piano tuner’s meticulous skills for tuning pianos lead him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down. Starring Leo Woodall (White Lotus) and Dustin Hoffman.

Pressure

Pressure

OPENS MAY 29 | In the tense 72 hours before D-Day, and the fate of the free world hanging in the balance, Pressure follows General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Captain James Stagg as they face an impossible choice.

The Injured Body: A Film About Racism in America – May 30

The Injured Body: A Film About Racism in America – May 30

Premiere & Post-Screening Discussion | Saturday, May 30th at 11:30AM | Shot and post-produced in Rochester, it weaves together the voices of 16 women rooted in local communities and the work of 10 dance artists and choreographers to create a powerful human story. | Little discounts / member benefits do not apply to this event.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (w/ presentation) – May 31

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (w/ presentation) – May 31

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SCIENCE ON SCREEN | Sunday, May 31 at 3:30pm | In a world where people collect Pokémon to do battle, a boy comes across an intelligent talking Pikachu who seeks to be a detective, and they join forces to unravel a tangled mystery. | With a presentation: “Animal Detectives: Problem Solving in Orangutans and Otters” by Caroline DeLong, PhD, Professor of Psychology at the Rochester Institute of Technology

The Wages of Fear – June 5

The Wages of Fear – June 5

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BLEAK WEEK | Friday, June 5 at 7:00pm | In a squalid South American oil town, four desperate men sign on for a suicide mission to drive trucks loaded with nitroglycerin over a treacherous mountain route. One of the greatest thrillers ever committed to celluloid, from 1953.

The Mist (Black & White) – June 6

The Mist (Black & White) – June 6

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BLEAK WEEK | Saturday, June 6 at 7:30pm | An eerie, unwavering fog descends upon a small town, causing locals to seek refuge in a grocery store from the monstrous creatures roaming the countryside and killing everyone they encounter. Based on the story by Stephen King, and written and directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Walking Dead).

Purple Rain – June 7

Purple Rain – June 7

SPECIAL SCREENING | Sunday, June 7 at 3:30pm | A young musician, tormented by an abusive situation at home, must contend with a rival singer, a burgeoning romance, and his own dissatisfied band, as his star begins to rise.

Werckmeister Harmonies – June 8

Werckmeister Harmonies – June 8

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BLEAK WEEK | Monday, June 8 at 7:00pm | A naive young man witnesses an escalation of violence in his small hometown following the arrival of a mysterious circus attraction in this modern art-house mesmeric parable of societal collapse by Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky.

Mysterious Skin – June 9

Mysterious Skin – June 9

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BLEAK WEEK | Tuesday, June 9 at 7:30pm | Two young boys both experience a traumatic event which affects their lives in different ways: one becomes a sexually adventurous hustler, while the other retreats into an alien abductions obsession. A new 4K restoration of Gregg Araki’s unconventional, provocative classic.

The Vanishing – June 10

The Vanishing – June 10

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BLEAK WEEK | Wednesday, June 10 at 7:30pm | Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia disappears. After three years and no signs, Rex begins receiving letters from Saskia’s abductor.

Killer of Sheep – June 11

Killer of Sheep – June 11

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BLEAK WEEK | Thursday, June 11 at 7:30pm | Set in the Watts area of Los Angeles, a slaughterhouse worker must suspend his emotions to continue working at a job he finds repugnant, and then he finds he has little sensitivity for the family he works so hard to support.

Disclosure Day

Disclosure Day

OPENS JUNE 12 | The new Steven Spielberg sci-fi alien film. The aura is mysterious and intriguing! Starring Josh O’Connor, Emily Blunt, and Colman Domingo.

Seven (35mm) – July 7

Seven (35mm) – July 7

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SPECIAL SCREENING | 35MM FILM | Seven on 7/7 at 7 | Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives in David Fincher’s “feel-bad” classic.

The Odyssey

The Odyssey

OPENS THURSDAY, JULY 16 | Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, is a mythic action epic starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron.

CatVideoFest 2026 – Aug. 7-9

CatVideoFest 2026 – Aug. 7-9

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SPECIAL SCREENINGS | Friday, August 7 – Sunday, August 9 | A Little summer favorite returns! CatVideoFest is a glorious compilation of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses.