Private Project

Zapinos

In this Facebook Marketplace meetup gone wrong, Dustin finds himself being scammed into becoming friends with the owner of a rare item.

  • Matt Bruggeman
    Director
  • Matt Bruggeman
    Writer
  • Josh Bruggeman
    Producer
  • AJ Campli
    Producer
  • Deanna Schaekel
    Producer
  • Bailey
    Producer
  • Matt Bruggeman
    Key Cast
    "Dustin"
  • Josh Warren
    Key Cast
    "Robbie"
  • Constance D. Benson
    Key Cast
    "Gwen"
  • Matt Bruggeman
    Executive Producers
  • AJ Campli
    Executive Producers
  • Bailey Miclette
    Executive Producers
  • Bailey Miclette
    Director of Photography
  • AJ Campli
    1st Assistant Director
  • Sean Bokelmann
    1st Assistant Camera
  • Tom Von Dohlen
    Gaffer
  • Jesse Yohanes
    Grip
  • Rob Joyner
    Production Assistant
  • Jeremy Rock
    Production Sound Mixer
  • Jonnie Sirotek
    Digital Colorist
  • Matt Cairns
    Editor & VFX Artist
  • Colton Jackson
    Sound Design + Mix
  • James Styron
    Foley Artist
  • Colton Jackson
    Score
  • Tobias Bartsch
    Score
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Suspense, Thriller
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 44 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Matt Bruggeman

In 2015, Matt graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Also in 2015, he realized he hated Electrical Engineering - whoops. This is when his creative life began in earnest, starting with performing and teaching improv comedy across the US and more recently writing/directing longer form content.

In 2024, he raised over $75k on Kickstarter to create the pilot episode of an animated comedy called Sooper Doods, featuring Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts, Balls of Fury), Cooper Andrews (The Walking Dead), Michael Evans Behling (All-American), and more. He now lives in Denver, CO with his wife and son and all the other residents of Denver.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I am incredibly proud to present my debut short film as a writer/director - Zapinos.

This film is very much a comedy at it's core, though it infuses a backdrop of emotional weightiness as the audience slowly learns the reasoning behind Dustin's quest for the Pokemon card, Zapdos (or Zapinos, as Dustin's Uber Driver calls it). This was inspired by real life events, as I received poor health diagnoses about both of my parents within the span of a few months. This news left me sitting with some guilt I had about how little time I'd spent with them over the years and inspired Dustin's story.

After living away from Atlanta for 4 years now, this film gave me the chance to go back and collaborate with an incredible cast and crew that I had built connections with during my time creating there. It is a culmination of my experiences from years learning as a performer, writer, and director. My hope is that the audience leaves the experience having laughed and enjoyed their time but also pondering what time and attention they're giving to the loved ones in their lives.