One of the best Short Films from this year’s Tribeca festival is Abby Pierce’s Run It Back, a striking and effective piece that speaks to a serious sociopolitical issue.

Written and directed by Abby Pierce, Run It Back is a prequel to her previous Short, So, Boom; also a 2026 Tribeca official selection and winner of Best Narrative Short at the 2025 San Quentin Film Festival. While the first film dealt with the anxieties of going into prison,Pierce’s encapsulates the pressures of the formerly incarcerated’s journey back to society.

Tiffany Tiny Cruz is Victoria a.k.a. “Sweet Tea”, a young woman who is being released from prison after 5 years. Sing Sing’s Clarence Maclin plays her strict parole officer. His intimidating performance certainly comes from a knowledgeable place. Maclin was formerly incarcerated and has since carved out a better future for himself through The Arts. The actor is quite effective here.

Asher P.O. lays down the rules, Victoria’s first minutes out of prison become a problem. She takes a puff from a vape, not knowing it is filled with weed. When she gets home, her mother has prepped a surprise party; the absolute bottom of what Victoria needs. At the party, just about every rule set by the probation office is broken. There are drugs and alcohol and probably a few attendees with records.

Finally, after her mom mistakes her diabetic needle for hard drugs and takes them away, a day that should have been full of love and emotional decompression becomes as dangerous as any moment in prison. The pressure boils much too soon and Victoria stresses. The night becomes symbolic of how difficult the law makes it for the formerly incarcerated to re-enter the world.

In only 17 minutes, Abby Pierce hints at how the failures of the American “justice” system can chip away at the spirit of anyone caught in its unforgiving grasp. Be it the broken legal system or the environment or one’s own friends and family, the formerly incarcerated are forced to walk an impossible tightrope until their probation comes to an end. As Victoria sees her first (not even) 24 hours of freedom already at risk, the weight of her situation and possible outcome earns our sympathies.

Tiffany Tiny Cruz’s fine work as Victoria is a powerful emotional tether. One cannot imagine the world her character has just returned from, but the actress crafts Victoria into something real. Cruz’s performance is born of experience (Cruz spent time as an incarcerated teen) and her natural talent allows for a rich portrayal.

Ulu Grosbard’s 1978 powerful film, Straight Time, featured Dustin Hoffman as a career criminal who isn’t allowed to rehabilitate due to a corrupt system. In some ways, Pierce’s film is a distant relative to the Grosbard picture. We do not know if Victoria will re-offend or if her parole officer will be harsh or accepting of mistakes. Her future is uncertain, as are the futures of so many who fight for a second chance. The screenplay finds an intensity in Victoria’s immediate post-release plight that infuses a stark realism.

The pain of losing touch with family. The pain of losing years. The struggle to hold on to one’s humanity. The marginalization of those with “a past” seeking to rebuild their lives. Any good work about formerly incarcerated individuals captures such feelings with tenderness and truth.

Abby Pierce’s Run It Back is a very good work.

Run It Back
Written and Directed by Abby Pierce
Starring Tiffany Tiny Cruz, Clarence Maclin, Irma Cádiz, Marisa Razo, Alpachino Howard, Alysia Velez
NR, 17 Minutes, Super Athletic Film Compny, Lilly, Tribeca Studios