One Take Documentary Series

THE SHORT LIST 2025

Thursday, December 11, 2025 | 7:00pm

Little Theatre 1 (240 East Ave.)
Doors open at 6:30pm
Post-screening discussion with the filmmakers

Saturday, December 13, 2025 | 3:00pm

Little Theatre 2 (The Jane and Larry Glazer Theatre) inside Little 2-5 & Café (8 Winthrop St.)
Doors open at 2:30pm

Regular ticket prices
Tickets available online in advance, at our box office during open hours, or at the door (if available).

ABOUT THE FILMS

The newest local documentary short films curated by the One Take Documentary Film Series. 

Not Rated | 1hr 21m  |  Documentary short films  |  2025  |  USA  |  English

Solitude in Two Voices (dir. Markus Essien)

Over striking images shot by two Rochester photographers, Solitude is the intertwined voices of two Puerto Rican artists from two different eras. Poetess Julia de Burgos and playwright Jon Marcantoni explore what it means to Puerto Rican and what it means to be human. (Runtime: 11 min.)

Who’s That Playin’ My Box? (dir. Clara Riedlinger & Mark Palms)

Joe Hall’s accordion legacy – from his musical ancestors in 18th century Louisiana – to today, has impacted the sound of Creole music globally. “Who’s That Playin’ My Box?” tells his story, and that of his community, through his own eyes, and solidifies Hall’s place in the lineage of Creole accordion masters. (Runtime: 30 min.)

The Cherry Picker: A Portrait of Frank Piliero (dir. Makai Yllanes and Abigail Singer Horn)

The Cherry Picker is observational documentary that follows Francis “Frank” Piliero, a 78-year-old hockey player. The film explores Frank’s lifelong relationship with hockey and what healthy aging means to him. (Runtime: 10 min.)

Good Night, Sleep Tight (dir. Claire Beseler)

An observational documentary following the bedtime stories of three families. With the use of animation, audiences are brought into the children’s imaginations as they tell stories about a fantastical waterpark, a world traveling pig, and two pink dragon sisters. (Runtime: 12 min.)

A Song Between the Gardens (dir. Nastaran Bagheri)

Two international students at the University at Buffalo engage in a conversation reflecting on their student life, their memories from Iran, and their experiences as students back home, while also praising the progressive and vocal role of students during the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement. (Runtime: 10 min.)

F*ck Your Policy (dir. TK James)

F*ck Your Policy is a documentary in five parts, exploring both the positive and negative experiences, socially and personally of non-binary people from all walks of life. The film rounds out by relating these experiences and struggles to the current political climate in America, which becomes more and more hostile to trans and queer people every day. (Runtime: 8 min.)