Play Thing

A woman hires a specialist to uncover that the missing link in her and her partner's relationship is a toy.

  • Sarah Joy Byington
    Director
  • Sarah Joy Byington
    Writer
  • Taylor Camarot
    Cinematographer
    Dead of Night, The Pizzagate Massacre
  • Samuel Buter
    Editor
    Age Out
  • John Valley
    Key Cast
    The Pizzagate Massacre
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 14, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    50 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Laugh After Dark Comedy Fest
    Las Vegas, Nevada
    United States
    October 7, 2024
    US Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Austin Comedy Film Festival
    Austin, TX
    United States
    October 15, 2024
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Sarah Joy Byington

Sarah Joy Byington is an actor, director, and screenwriter based in Austin, TX, since her parents moved here in 1993. Beginning her career as an actor, her love for filmmaking quickly expanded and she challenged herself to learn all facets of production. Sarah’s career as a director kicked off when her short “Payday” won semi-finalist in the final year of Dorito’s Crash the Super Bowl competition. After she gave birth to her first child, she discovered her passion for writing when she received recognition for her first feature screenplay, Let Me Do Right By You, which was accepted into festivals such as BlueCat, Scriptapalooza, La Femme Intl Festival, and academy-qualifying Rhode Island Intl Film Festival. Since then she has directed a few short films, including Labor+Justice which premiered at academy-qualifying HollyShorts in 2023.
Sarah continues to write, with many ideas waiting to find their moment. She lives in Austin, TX with her husband and film editor, Sam Butler and their two kids.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I was inspired to write Play Thing after my last project, Labor+Justice, which had a massively bigger budget and complex storyline. Play Thing is an excellent example that simplicity and comedic timing can go a long way.