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WHY DINOSAURS?

From prestigious museums and universities, to blockbuster films, amusement park rides, video games, and toys--dinosaurs have always fascinated us. But, why?

WHY DINOSAURS follows dino-obsessed youth James Pinto and his filmmaker father on a journey around the world, interviewing world renowned paleontologists about the latest dinosaur research, digging up real dinosaur bones, and encountering dinosaur fanatics of all walks of life.

  • Tony & James Pinto
    Director
  • Tony & James Pinto
    Writer
  • Tony & James Pinto
    Editors
  • James L Pinto
    Producer
  • Tara Pinto
    Producer
  • Tony Pinto
    Producer
  • Kallie Moore
    Producer
  • Dr. Dean Lomax
    Producer
  • Dr. Nizar Ibrahim
    Producer
  • Jessica Lippincott
    Producer
  • Colin Trevorrow
    Key Cast
    "Director (Self)"
    Jurassic World, Jurassic World Dominion, Safety Not Guaranteed, The Book of Henry
  • Dean Cundey, ASC
    Key Cast
    "Oscar Nominated Cinematographer (Self)"
    Jurassic Park, Back to the Future (Trilogy), Halloween, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Apollo 13
  • Phil Tippett
    Key Cast
    "Oscar Winning Visual Effects Wizard"
    Star Wars, Jurassic Park, The Empire Strikes Back, Starship Troopers, Return of the Jedi, RoboCop, Coneheads
  • Glen McIntosh
    Key Cast
    "Visual Effects Supervisor (Self)"
    Jurassic World, Jurassic World Dominion, Super 8, Jurassic World III, The Day After Tomorrow, Star Wars Ep. 1-3, Avatar: The Way of Water, Transformers
  • Jack Horner
    Key Cast
    "Paleontologist (Self)"
    Jurassic Park (Trilogy), Jurassic World
  • Dr. Scott Sampson
    Key Cast
    "Paleontologist (Self)"
    Dinosaur Train, Nature Kids, Dinosaur Revolution, Dinosaur Planet
  • Dr. Phil Currie
    Key Cast
    "Paleontologist (Self)"
    March of the Dinosaurs, Jurassic Fight Club, T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous, Dinosaur 13, The Infinite Voyage
  • Dr. Dean Lomax
    Key Cast
    "Paleontologist (Self)"
    Sea Dragon, Dinosaur Britain
  • Dr. Nizar Ibrahim
    Key Cast
    "Paleontologist (Self)"
    Spinosaurus: Lost Giant of the Cretaceous, Digging Spinosaurus with National Geographic Explorer Nizar Ibrahim, Amazing Dinoworld, Nova: Bigger than T. Rex,
  • Jessica Lippincott
    Key Cast
    "Paleontologist (Self)"
  • Kallie Moore
    Key Cast
    "Paleontologist (Self)"
    PBS Eons
  • Raphaël Dargent
    Music
    Star Wars: The New Academy, Winter or '79, Silent as the Grave
  • Tashi Trieu
    Colorist
    Avatar: The Way of Water, Stranger Things, Bombshell, The Jungle Book, Ford v. Ferarri
  • Anna Cassady
    Sound Design
    Sympatico, A Perfect Hole, Desert Bunny
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Science, children, natural history, human interest, international, dinosaurs, fossils, paleontology
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 17 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    98,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Argentina, Canada, China, Morocco, United Kingdom, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital (4K)
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Seattle International Film Festival
    Seattle
    United States
    May 11, 2024
    World Premiere
    Nominee: Futurewave Feature
  • Wyoming International Film Festival
    Cheyenne
    United States
    July 13, 2024
    Wyoming Premiere
    Best Documentary Feature + Audience Award
  • South Dakota Film Festival
    Aberdeen
    United States
    September 15, 2024
    Best Feature Documentary
  • Newport Beach Film Fest
    Newport Beach
    United States
    October 20, 2024
  • SIMI Film Fest
    Simi Valley
    United States
    September 6, 2024
    Best of Ventura County
  • London Director Awards
    London
    United Kingdom
    Best Director - Feature Doc
  • Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
    Washington, DC
    United States
    May 13, 2025
    https://www.si.edu/events/detail?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D182554884
  • Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
    Los Angeles
    United States
    September 14, 2025
    https://nhm.org/calendar/dino-fest
  • International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA)

    July 1, 2025
    Best Original Score for a Documentary
  • LA Film & Documentary Award
    Los Angeles
    United States
    May 12, 2025
    Best Animation in a Documentary
Distribution Information
  • PBS
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: Free TV
Director Biography - Tony & James Pinto

Tony and James Pinto are a father and son who co-wrote, directed, and edited their first feature documentary together. Tony, an accomplished corporate video producer, was also the primary cinematographer and sound mixer, and James, a graduate student at the University of Southern California, was the teenaged protagonist and narrator. They've been invited to screen the film at Natural History Museums and Universities around the world, including the Smithsonian!

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Director Statement

This film has been a dream come true for two first-time filmmakers, especially being able to spend time traveling and working together before James left for college. WHY DINOSAURS is a timeless story that will hopefully inspire girls and boys around the world to pursue science in a variety of disciplines--not just Paleontology--as well as boost attendance at natural history museums for decades to come.