Private Project

One Night Only

"Some loves are too special to ruin with a relationship."

A vagabond actor traveling through a strange city collides with his long-lost love-- an illegal immigrant and cleaning lady he met back home in Hungary 25 years ago.

"One Night Only" is a meaningful, socially relevant film, shot in New York City. With a Hungarian/Canadian cast and crew and a female director and DP, it truly defies borders and breaks the boundaries of traditional filmmaking.

"I loved the film. It’s raw and tender, lovely acting, beautifully paced. Simple. In tone some of it reminded me of Herzog’s amazing Stroszek."
-Luke Davies, Oscar-nominated screenwriter (Lion, Beautiful Boy)

  • Lili Bordan
    Director
    The Nun, Westworld, Book Club (Actor)
  • Lili Bordan, Mihaly Szabados
    Writer
  • Lili Bordan
    Producer
    CURTIZ, Kirándulás
  • Krisztián Köves
    Producer
    The Chronicler, Halálkeringô, Choice
  • Mihaly Szabados
    Producer
    Sose Halunk Meg, KZ 2020, A Kapalba Zárt Lány
  • Eszter Csepeli
    Producer
    Ame A Roma, The Blue Bird of Hope
  • Mihaly Szabados
    Key Cast
    "Béla"
    Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, 24 Hour Rental, Unexpectedly Trans
  • Zoi Florosz
    Key Cast
    "Ágota"
    KZ 2020, Syrinx, Ame Roma
  • Eszter Csepeli
    Cinematographer
    Paradox, The Execution, Antifeminist,
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Csak Ma Este
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 52 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 20, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Hungary
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Hungarian
  • Shooting Format:
    iPhone 11 Pro/ Filmic Pro App
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • United Nations - AFI World Peace Initiative
    Cannes
    France
    July 10, 2021
    Best Production, Best Director, Best Actress
  • Palm Springs International Film Festival - Film Market
  • Global Short Film Awards
    Cannes
    France
    July 9, 2021
    Best Cellphone Short, Best Actress
  • Vail Film Festival
    Vail
    United States
    September 24, 2021
    American Premiere
  • Budapest Film Awards
    Budapest
    Hungary
    Honorable Mention
  • Black Bear Film Festival
    Milton, PA
    United States
    October 15, 2021
  • Centre Film Festival
    Philipsburg, Pennsylvania
    United States
    November 6, 2021
    Official Selection
  • MiMO Milano
    Milano
    Italy
    October 16, 2021
    Italy
    Finalist
Director Biography - Lili Bordan

Lili was born in NYC to a Hungarian parents and is a citizen of both the US and EU. She has acted in over 50 independent and studio projects including roles in Westworld, The Nun, and Book Club. "One Night Only" is Lili's directing debut. She wrote, produced, and directed it while pregnant with her first child, daughter Clio.

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Director Statement

I grew up in New York City, the daughter of refugee immigrants from Soviet Hungary. I somehow never fit in with the American kids at school, or the Hungarians in the mother-land. But walking the streets of New York always felt like home. This film is a love-letter to the city I love; that welcomes the lonely, the odd, and the passionate in all of us.