Films & Events

See the year’s most spectacular short films on the big screen for a limited time! Each feature-length program includes all five of its Academy Award nominees.

Death By Numbers  |  2024. Dir. Kim A. Snyder. 33min.

Four years after being shot with an AR-15 in her high school, Samantha Fuentes reckons with existential questions of hatred and justice as she prepares to confront her shooter.

I Am Ready, Warden  |  2024. Dir. Smriti Mundhra. 37min.

John Henry Ramirez is convicted of murder and sentenced to death in the state of Texas. During his incarceration, Ramirez tries to reach out to his victim’s son while also preparing to say goodbye to his family.

Incident  |  2023. Dir. Bill Morrison. 30min.

Incident reconstructs a 2018 police shooting in Chicago, reassembling the event and its immediate aftermath from a variety of sources, including surveillance, CCTV, dashboard, and body-worn cameras, as a synchronized split-screen montage.

Instruments of a Beating Heart  |  2024. Dir. Ema Ryan Yamazaki. 23min. (in Japanese with English subtitles)

First graders in a Tokyo public elementary school are presented with a challenge for the final semester: performing “Ode to Joy” at the ceremony for the new incoming first graders. Ayame, who often struggles to keep up with the group, is determined to play a major part – the big drum.

The Only Girl in the Orchestra   |  2023. Dir. Molly O’Brien. 34min.

Orin O’Brien, a trailblazing double bassist, became the New York Philharmonic’s first female musician in 1966, hired by Leonard Bernstein. Now 87 and recently retired, she reflects on her remarkable career, valuing a quiet, supportive role for loved ones and students. The documentary by her niece, Molly O’Brien, highlights Orin’s impact and her belief that fulfillment lies in embracing a secondary role.

120 min.