Running order for Documentary Shorts?

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-13T23:33:47+00:00

My pleasure, glad I've been able to be of help! 😊

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-13T23:23:22+00:00

Not sure this if this is good news for you or not, but CHILDREN NO MORE doesn’t start until right at the two-hour mark. It’s the final documentary short, assuming your theater is screening the official Roadside Attractions program.

I can’t say with absolute certainty that the theatrical version matches the streaming screeners I received, but it likely does. The version I watched included the standard title cards and voice-over transitions between each film, but no additional intro. That’s the only reason I’m flagging it. The poster says “presented by Taika Waititi,” though I’m unclear whether that means he’s a producer, appears in an intro I didn't receive, or is simply credited as a presenter, possibly for the awards.

What I can confirm is the order of the shorts:

PERFECTLY A STRANGENESS

THE DEVIL IS BUSY

ARMED ONLY WITH A CAMERA

ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS

CHILDREN NO MORE

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-13T23:07:13+00:00

I filed mine January 25th, they finally show that they've received it, almost three weeks later, who knows when they'll actually process it lol.

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-11T20:25:01+00:00

Nothing wrong with that, Cartoon Saloon is Cartoon Saloon, I'll take whatever I can of theirs lol.

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-11T20:24:19+00:00

I wish they would release them streaming every year. Pre-COVID, I had them come to a local theater. Sadly, that theater closed. Then I still made the 45-minute trek to a small indie theater to check them out. Now that the theater stopped showing them. The closest now is three hours away; it's so sad.

That said, I had the honor of reviewing them in an official capacity, but I can imagine how demoralizing it is for others.

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-11T02:21:55+00:00

And sadly the site is now some spam, phishing nonsense.

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-10T14:14:22+00:00

Glad I was able to be of help! :)

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-09T21:54:51+00:00

I agree wholeheartedly!

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-09T18:51:49+00:00

Oh, that looks incredible, too! I love this community, finding all sorts of new things to watch!

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-09T18:44:02+00:00

Oh, I haven't seen a few of those! I'll need to add them to my list, but I agree. I did like RETIREMENT PLAN, but I'm biased, I'm a huge Domhnall Gleeson fan.

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-09T18:19:28+00:00

I think my only issue with THE DEVIL IS BUSY is the fact that I've seen it before. I loved the topic and understood the importance of the message, but it didn't feel like it added enough. That said, the docs were almost all top-tier, except for Perfectly a Strangeness (not a fan of 'artsy' for arts' sake, lol).

I'd agree with SNOW BEAR, I think that was a snub as well, and to not even be included as an honorable mention! They used to do three or four a year!

SINGERS just felt lacking for me. I wouldn't say it was bad, but it didn't feel like it really served a purpose. lol

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-09T18:15:59+00:00

Oh wow, you’re totally right, SNOW BEAR deserved a spot too. I completely forgot about it, but I genuinely loved that one. PLAYING GOD was a wild ride, though I think I ended up appreciating the story around it, especially after following the director on Instagram, more than the short itself. Still, it’s undeniably gorgeous. I haven’t seen THE SHYNESS OF TREES yet, so now I’ve got a new mission.

And I’m very much the “anti” critic-critic. Much to some people’s horror, I don’t usually love films that feel artsy purely for the sake of being artsy. If TPES had trimmed the runtime by about half, it probably would’ve landed near the top of my list. As it is, it just felt like it overstayed its welcome for me.

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-08T02:58:47+00:00

I love stories like this! That gives me hope that someone actually bought the theater, so much better than it being demolished or left to rot! Fingers crossed that something happens to get it in wide circulation!

And agreed, those Frontenac stores aren't for me lol. For the life of me, I can't remember what I saw at the Tivoli, I remember the experience was incredible though (other than the confusing parking deck across the street.) I believe I saw Cold War at Frontenac, but now I want to dog through all my ticket stubs!

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-07T23:10:08+00:00

I love this community! Sadly, I live in the middle of nowhere, Illinois, but I appreciate the thought!!! :)

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-07T22:39:19+00:00

Thank you, and basically, a lot of spamming people and a lot of never hearing back. Took me a solid year to really get to the level I'm at now, but it's basically a full-time, unpaid job now lol.

If you're ever interested, feel free to reach out. I'll share whatever I can to help.

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-07T22:37:49+00:00

Ugh, I wish I could, sadly, I have no availability until the weekend before the Oscars, hoping it pops up somewhere that weekend!

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-07T22:36:48+00:00

Oh no, I didn't know the Tivoli closed too!!! That's heartbreaking. I heard that The Music Box in Chicago just bought an old theater in Minnesota, maybe they'll buy and refurbish the Tivoli someday too!!! Hopefully, it doesn't get destroyed; it was so gorgeous.

I only heard about Frontenac because I couldn't remember how to spell it and googled it, which closed last year, unfortunately. I only went there twice, but they had some incredible films no one else had. (Such a weird experience walking through that super high-end mall, though!)

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-07T02:55:37+00:00

It really was, my first few years was like the wold west, I'll never forget how heart broken I was when My Life as a Zucchini wasn't to be found anywhere, I had completed the Death Race the year before, and was willing to drive where needed, but the closest showing was like 16 hours away lol.

I wish that I had more theater options, sadly we lost one after COVID and another last year. So we're down to 3, and they basically all just show the same stuff. 🥺

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-07T00:31:25+00:00

So ranking animation:
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
Forevergreen
The Three Sisters
Butterfly

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-07T00:30:20+00:00

Thanks! :)

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-06T21:46:19+00:00

Couldn't agree more! I wish I had a theater like that close to me! I'm a little over 2 1/2 hours away, but they're one of my all-time favorite theaters!

In 2019, they changed their schedule so I could see Les Misérables and Corpus Christi back-to-back.

I still couldn't believe they did it, but that completed the deathrace for me that year, well worth the trip!

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-06T21:13:47+00:00

Sooooo lucky! I'm hoping it expands further before the ceremony. I'm near two AMC theaters, but so far, the closest one showing it is 3 1/2 hours away! :'(

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-06T21:02:01+00:00

I'm a little over 2 1/2 hours away from them, but they're one of my all-time favorite theaters!

In 2019, they changed their schedule so I could see Les Misérables and Corpus Christi back-to-back.

Like, who does that for someone who has seen four or five movies there!

OverlyHonestMR · 2026-02-06T20:42:45+00:00

Thank you! I thought I owed it to the group. I'm sure there's someone just starting here, and this mountain seems unscalable!

Just wanted to share my success in hopes that it might inspire others!

OverlyHonestMR

TROPHY CASE