Experiencing Interruptions?

Nut Cracker

Tommy, 11, lives with his father, Jack, recently paralyzed after a car accident. Tommy's mom has disappeared from their lives and Jack is struggling to come to terms with not only his new disability, but also being a responsible father for the first time. (MFA thesis project)

  • David Pinkston
    Director
  • Alexandra Billington
    Writer
  • David Pinkston
    Producer
  • Joey Morris - lead
    Key Cast
  • Daniel Morton - lead
    Key Cast
  • Morgana Shaw - supporting
    Key Cast
  • Nikki Donley - supporting
    Key Cast
  • JB Edwards - featured
    Key Cast
  • Ryan Maddon - featured
    Key Cast
  • Anna Pena - featured
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 42 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 3, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    6,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony F3, Sony Primes
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Vermont College of Fine Arts
  • LA Shorts Award
    Los Angeles
    United States
    June 23, 2016
    Silver - Best Editing
  • Miami Independent Film Festival
    Miami
    United States
    May 28, 2016
    Official Selection
  • Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival
    Pittsburgh
    United States
    July 16, 2016
    Official Selection
  • Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    September 5, 2016
    Official Selection
  • Southern Shorts Awards
    Roswell, GA
    United States
    October 15, 2016
    Award of Merit Screenwriting, Editing, Directing, Cinematography, Audio, Acting
  • Best Shorts Competition
    La Jolla, CA
    United States
    September 1, 2016
    Award of Merit
  • INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL
    New York, NY
    United States
    November 13, 2016
    Semi-Finalist
  • Canada Shorts - Canadian & International Short Film Fest.

    Canada
    December 10, 2016
    Award of Excellence
  • Los Angeles CineFest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    December 10, 2016
    Semi-Finalist
  • Global Shorts
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 31, 2016
    Award of Excellence
Director Biography - David Pinkston

David Pinkston has been a professional cinematographer and freelance editor since 1980. He is a Graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Fine Arts concentrating in Cinematography and Photography. He has a Master of Fine Arts in Film from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in the disciplines of screen writing and directing.

He is known for his work on Nut Cracker (2016), Her Unlikely Kin (2015), Steps of Faith (2014), Adventures of Bailey: A Night in Cowtown (2013), Hiding in Plain Sight (2012), Adventures of Bailey: The Lost Puppy (2010), Bail Out (2010/I) and After Sundown (2006).

His film and video projects include features, narratives, documentaries, commercials and web base interactive videos for corporations. Client list includes NYPD Recruitment, PriceWaterhouseCooper, SuddenLink, United States Air Force, Hilton Grand Vacations, Audi, Texas Health Resources, Miss Texas, Van Cliburn, KERA/PBS, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, City of Fort Worth, City of Dallas, Texas Christian University, Baptist Radio and Television Commission. Several projects have won awards and citations of excellence. Production locations have taken him to sites in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Chile, Argentina, Colombia.

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Director Statement

Nut Cracker is an international collaboration with screenwriter Alexandra Billington from London, cast from Dallas and crew from the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex of north Texas. The short is the final thesis project submission for a Master of Fine Arts in Film.