Refusing to ask for permission to pursue their own personal ambitions and goals is a powerful motive for both characters and filmmakers. That’s certainly true for the protagonists, cast and crew of the new movie, ‘Third.’

The feature is an intimate, emotionally dark comedy that uses the lens of a polyamorous relationship to explore how societal influence quietly infiltrate people’s lives. While the story relies on subtle science-fiction elements, it remains rooted in emotional realism, performance and dialogue to heighten contemporary anxieties about power, intimacy and personal autonomy.

The project, which marks the feature film directorial debut of Alexander Parkinson, features an all Atlanta-based cast and crew. He also wrote and served as the executive producer on the movie. Parkinson edited the dark comedy with the project’s cinematographer, Brandon Peterson, as well. The director also stars in the film, alongside Coley Campany and Norio Nishimura.

‘Third’ follows Thomas and Sandra (Parkinson and Campany) as they reach an uneasy point in their marriage – love remains, but intrigue has faded. So, when Ernesto (Nishimura) mysteriously falls into their lives, charming and reigniting Sandra’s desire for excitement, she is quick to embrace him, leaving Thomas quietly displaced. Their decision to pull Ernesto into the fabric of their marriage escalates into an unbalanced three-way relationship that transforms their lives.

But as similar unexplainable figures begin appearing in their neighbors’ lives, and as Sandra’s connection to Ernesto deepens and her grip on reality loosens, Thomas starts looking for answers. By the time he uncovers Ernesto’s real motives, his marriage cannot be salvaged.

‘Third’ will have its World Premiere at the 50th Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) tonight, Friday, April 24 at 7:30pm ET. The screening will be held at the Tara Theatre’s Jack Auditorium. Parkinson is returning to the festival after he won the 2025 ATLFF Feature Screenplay Competition for ‘Ride or Die.’ In honor of ‘Third’s premiere, Parkinson generously took the time yesterday to talk about scribing, helming, producing, editing and starring in the feature during an exclusive interview over Zoom.

Film Factual (FF): You wrote the script for the new dark comedy, ‘Third.’ What was your inspiration in penning the movie?

Alexander Parkinson (AP): I just really wanted to make a feature film. I was a working actor, but not working as much as I would like and not getting auditions for the kind of roles I wanted. So I felt that my only real shot at a sustainable career was to make my own feature film. I enjoy writing and directing, so that was what I set my mind to do.

This story reflects my personal taste in movies. I really like relationship dramas. It has a small element of science fiction to it, which interests me – the juxtaposition between the grounded nature of a relationship drama and a little fantasy or science fiction, something that makes that grounded world feel slightly off or confused. That was the genre that interested me. So I knew I had to write something contained that would be affordable to make. That’s how we came up with it.

FF: Besides scribing the screenplay, you also made your feature film directorial debut on the project. How did writing the script influence the way you approached directing the movie, especially after you also directed several short films?

AP: I had learned a little bit about directing shorts. I’m not a technical director, as I haven’t gone to film school. I don’t really know about lighting and cameras, but I have a vision and understand the tone of the piece I wanted. I also understand acting, so I can work with actors that way.

I knew I needed to set myself up with a team who could handle the things I couldn’t, and work with me to achieve the vision. That was crucial to my directing. I’ve worked, on other projects as a producer and in other roles, with directors who have all the technical capability, and it’s a different experience, which is fine. My approach was to let the creatives and technical people do their jobs, while I helped steady the ship, provide a smooth work environment and guide everything toward the shared vision.

FF: Speaking about the technical side, how did you collaborate with ‘Third’s cinematographer, Brandon Peterson, to determine how to shoot the feature?

AP: Brandon Peterson is a wonderful cinematographer – he knows cameras, lighting and everything in general inside out. That was exactly the type of person I needed to work with on this film.

I really enjoyed the process of figuring out how we wanted the film to look and feel. So I let Brandon lead the cinematography, and I chimed in where appropriate.

It was his suggestion to use anamorphic lenses. There were a number of reasons for that, one being the crispness of the image, and the slight warping on the edges, which I love. It reflected the tone of the movie: grounded, but with something slightly off. They also looked very cinematic, and for a microbudget film, that really elevates production value. That’s why we chose anamorphics.

FF: You also starred in the dark comedy, alongside Coley Campany and Norio Nishimura. Why did you decide to also appear in the film? How did you cast the supporting actors?

AP: It was always going to be me in a role. That was part of why I was doing it. Acting is my first love and will continue to be. It was about giving myself a meaty role. A bit selfish, but that’s what you sometimes do in this industry to get by.

The supporting cast is made up of friends and peers from the Atlanta acting community. They’re people I’ve worked with for years, mostly in sketch comedy and live shows. They’re people I trust and who were fully bought into the process and story. That made everything very easy. They know my style and tone, so we moved quickly and efficiently.

FF: Speaking of sketch comedy and ‘Third’ being a dark comedy, how did you and the cast approach mixing improv backgrounds with darker humor and dramatic elements?

AP: It was a leap, because you never really know how that tone will land. But we all committed to everything being grounded and played seriously. The comedy comes from characters behaving truthfully in those situations. If it’s natural to the character, it doesn’t feel out of place.

FF: Once the rest of the actors were cast, did you all rehearse together on set to help build characters?

AP: Yes – making a film is all about trust and familiarity. Coley Campany, who plays Sandra, has been in almost every sketch and short I’ve made. She understands my sensibility and knows what I want without me saying it.

The same goes for Norio Nishimura, who plays Ernesto. We’ve worked together for years. That shared language makes character work very natural.

FF: With ‘Third’ being a dark comedy, did you encourage the cast to improv during the production to also help build the characters’ relationships? Did you lean into improv during filming?

AP: I was open to it. The dialogue is a foundation, not something meant to be rigid. Actors should make it their own. We were on a tight schedule, so there wasn’t always time for extensive improv, but in lighter scenes we allowed it.

Brett Newton, who plays Josh, improvised a line we all loved. I thought I had written it, but it turned out he had created it. Those moments add a lot.

FF: You shot the film in Atlanta, where you and the cast and crew are based. Why did you decide to shoot the movie in your hometown?

AP: There was never really any other choice. This is where my filmmaking community is. It was always going to be here.

We needed a house large enough for a full crew but still fitting for the story. We were fortunate to have people in our community willing to offer their home for two weeks of filming – Joey and Dianna Avena, our co-producers. I don’t think we could have done that anywhere else. Atlanta is an incredible community.

FF: You also served as a producer on ‘Third.’ How did you approach working with your fellow producers?

AP: I’ve worked with these people for a long time. Sarah Stephens was our main producer. She’s incredibly creative and has great vision for film. I was delighted to have her on board.

Allison Victoria-Wolfe is also an experienced producer who keeps things moving. That kind of energy on set is essential – she helped ensure we meet our days and kept production efficient.

FF: You also serve as a co-editor on the dark comedy, alongside Brandon Peterson. How did you work together to put the final version of the film together? What was the experience like of editing the film?

AP: I took longer than I expected. I thought it would be quick, but it was a slog. An 84-minute film is not just eight short films.

We were working around day jobs, and I’m not a fast editor. That said, the slower process allowed reflection. We even added pickup shots a year later – commercials for a fictional company called Smile – to help with pacing. That extra time helped improve the film in ways we couldn’t have done if we had rushed.

FF: ‘Third’ is having its World Premiere at the Atlanta Film Festival. As an Atlanta-based filmmaker, what has the experience of debuting the movie at the festival mean to you?

AP: It means everything. This is our community and our families. It’s the best place for this film to premiere. I don’t think we could have had the same support anywhere else. I’m very proud we chose Atlanta Film Festival.