Private Project

Three Fingers

"Three Fingers" is an intimate, censorial representation of trauma through the point of view of Jesstine, a mother, wife and Marine veteran. Reaching great depths of despondency, her life and her family unravels until the moment she has nothing left but one final choice.

  • Paul D. Hart
    Director
    86 Manners, Bandmates
  • Paul D. Hart
    Writer
    86 Manners, Bandmates
  • Virginia Newcomb
    Producer
    Bus to Lumberton: a Blue Velvet experience, Bandmates, Viva Adore, Mortar & Pestle
  • Mark Maxey
    Producer
    USO, Discovery’s The Military Channel, GI Film Festival
  • Barrett J. Leigh
    Producer
    Bridesmaids, This Is 40, Pirates of the Caribbean, After Darkness, All Saints, The Mis-Informant, Raaaaaaaandy!
  • Ben Umstead
    Producer
    Tormenting The Hen, Albatross, U.S. Editor -- TwitchFilm.com
  • Victor Sharpiro
    Producer
    Mediterranea, Fishing Without Nets
  • Virginia Newcomb
    Key Cast
    Reparation, Peacock, Jumanji, CSI, The Office, Theatre Bizzare
  • Benjamin Keepers
    Key Cast
    Sleepy Hollow, Satisfaction, Fragile World , Union
  • John Winscher
    Key Cast
    Underground, Containment, The Vampire Diaries, Initiation
  • Kim Kendall
    Key Cast
    CSI: Miami, Blackhat, Trainers, Love Scene
  • Sarah Lipstate, Composer
    Keys
    Iggy Pop tour, St. Vincent tour, The Skeleton Twins,
  • Brit Doyle, Art Director
    Keys
    Quarry, The Identical, I Used To Be Darker
  • Sherita Leslie, Makeup/SFX
    Keys
    Unconditional, Crazy Hearts, Bring It!
  • Gny. Sgt. Michelle Hill
    Special Thanks
    USMC FET, Consultant
  • Michael Paul
    Special Thanks
    On Targe For Vets, Consultant/Featured Extra
  • Andrew Gasper
    Special Thanks
    Wounded Warriors Regiment
  • Ben Patton, Jeanette Sears
    Special Thanks
    The Patton Veterans Project
  • Erica Anderson, Emily Best
    Special Thanks
    Seed & Spark Campaign consultants
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 30 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED Epic
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Nashville Film Festival
    Nashville
    United States
    April 14, 2016
    Tennessee premiere
    Grand Jury Prize: Best Narrative Short / Audience Award Finalist (3rd Place)
  • Sidewalk Film Festival
    Birmingham, AL
    August 30, 2015
    World Premiere
    Kathryn Tucker Windham Storytelling Jury Award
  • Oxford Film Festival
    Oxford, MS
    February 19, 2016
    Mississippi Premiere
    Special Jury Award for Southern Spirit
  • Austin Film Festival
    Austin, Texas
    October 30, 2015
    Texas Premiere
    Finalist for Best Narrative Short
  • Katra Film Series
    New York
    United States
    September 24, 2016
    New York
    Audience Award: Best Narrative Short
  • Raindance Film Festival
    London, England
    September 30, 2015
    International Premiere
  • Cucalorus Film Festival
    Wilmington, NC
    November 12, 2015
    North Carolina Premiere
  • Chattanooga Film Festival
    Chattanooga
    United States
    March 31, 2016
  • Tacoma Film Festival
    Tacoma
    United States
    October 9, 2016
    West Coast Premiere
  • GI Film Festival; Inaugural "Women in Military"
    Washington DC
    United States
    May 22, 2016
  • Women in Texas Film Festival
    Dallas
    United States
    August 20, 2016
  • Bentonville Film Festival
    Bentonville, AK
    United States
    May 3, 2017
  • 5th Annual Katra Film Series Grand Finale
    New York
    United States
    January 25, 2017
    Finalist - Best Film of the Year
  • WMMFest 2016
    Los Angeles
    United States
    June 22, 2016
    Los Angeles
Distribution Information
  • Seed&Spark
    Country: United States
    Rights: Internet
  • Amazon
    Rights: Internet, Video on Demand, Paid TV
Director Biography - Paul D. Hart

Born in Louisville, KY, Paul grew up all throughout the southeast before relocating to California. He studied at the Los Angeles Film School graduating with honors while attaining an editing major and directing minor. Since that time, Hart has contributed to the indie film-making community, not only as a writer and director, but as a skilled gaffer and cinematographer. His current film, Three Fingers, is finishing up its festival run having garnered multiple jury awards.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Twenty-two. That's the number of war veterans that take their own lives every day in the United States. The number of those that are women is steadily increasing. Sometimes a storyteller finds inspiration that leads to and coincides with a subject matter that needs to be told. Three Fingers, for me, is that story.

I strove to make a film that is not only artistic and accessible, but at the same time sheds light on major physical and mental illnesses that plague many veterans. Dealing with mental illness in my own family, I am cognizant of the need for a better public understanding of mental health and trust that our vision on the screen can be a conduit for raising such awareness. With several active and retired Marines having already helped us through outreach and consultation, we are well on our way to achieving this goal.

As the script was very visual in nature, the film relies heavily on the imagery as well as rich immersive soundscapes to tell the story. Our sound designer, Ugo Derouard and Composer Sarah Lipstate (aka Noveller) were integral collaborators to help me realize my vision while accentuating the beautiful footage from our Cinematographer Shawn Grice.

Three Fingers is an intimate story of a very personal struggle. Our lead, Virginia Newcomb, carries a burning subtlety and a visually compelling skill set that brings "Jessie" to life while rooted in a raw realism. As her portrayal of this deeply wounded character elevates the film, her involvement as creative producer firmly grounds the female perspective.

The overwhelmingly positive response we have received throughout the process has been humbling and massively exciting. The group of artists we compiled to work on the film is thrilling and continues to surpass my wildest dreams.
~Paul D. Hart writer/director