Synopsis

In New Rutherford’s unforgiving 3rd Ward, Jimmy “Sky” High plans a life-changing score that will free him and his sister Anna from the streets that raised them. However, with volatile hoodlum Sandy on board plus Anna’s boyfriend, Twitch, the true intent of Jimmy’s heist quickly spirals into revelation, betrayal, and bloodshed.

Production

I joined The 3rd prior to principal photography, working closely with writer-director Sheldon Armstrong on the script’s structure, its characters and the film’s thematic clarity. The result ultimately reframed the heist as a vehicle for legacy, sacrifice and myth-making rather than spectacle.

My Post Production Process

• Organising and structuring into an assembly cut

• Manually re-synchronising production sound

• Refining the edit’s narrative rhythm

• Refocusing the film’s emotional arcs through successive cuts

• Final QC ahead of export for colour grading by the film’s DOP

In the end, we were able to arrive at a final cut that emerged as a narrative refinement, not just a technical polish.

Festivals/Awards

The 3rd completed a successful run of screenings at international film festival between 2023-2024, garnering many awards.

AWARD WINS:

Berlin Indie Film Festival — Best Student Film
Cinematic European Film Festival — Best Student Filmmaker
Dresden Cinema Awards – Best Student Film · Best Actor (Isaac Barnes) · Narrative Short
IndieX Film – First Time Director · Best Ensemble Cast · Best Crime Short · Best Actor (Isaac Barnes)
Level Up, Sydney – Best First Time Director · Actor Student Film (Isaac Barnes) · Original Score
Nashville Indie Filmmakers Fest – Best US Narrative Short · Student Short · Short Actor (Isaac Barnes)
Rotterdam Independent Film Festival — Best First Time Filmmaker
Student Filmmaker Awards — Winner. Over 20 Min category
8 & Half Film Awards – Best Original Short Film · Screenplay Short · Arthouse Filmmaker · Cast
Berlin Shorts Award — Best Actor (Isaac Barnes)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS & FINALIST:

ARFF Amsterdam International Film Festival — Best Student Film (Honourable Mention)
ARFF Berlin International Film Festival — Best Student Film (Finalist)
Stuttgart Film Festival (Distribution Award) — Honourable Mention

OFFICIAL SELECTIONS:

4theatre Selection — 4theatre Low Budget Feature
Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival — Feature Length Live Action Narrative
Barcelona Indie Filmmakers Festival (BARCIFF) — Featurettes
Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival — Feature Length Live Action Narrative
London Lift-Off Film Festival — Feature Length Live Action Narratives
Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival — Feature Narrative Film
Paris Lift-Off Film Festival — Feature Length Live Action Narratives
Tokyo Lift-Off Film Festival — Feature Films, Live Action Narrative
Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival — Feature Narrative Content
Filmmaker Sessions Volume 10 — Feature Film Content ($0–$5000 Budget)
First-Time Filmmaker Volume 11 — Shorts – New Voices
Seville International Film Festival — Best Actor
Stockholm City Film Festival — My 1st Feature Film

Director’s Reflection

“Mark possesses that rare combination of skill, intuition, and collaborative spirit that every director dreams of finding in an editor.”
— Sheldon Armstrong, Writer & Director, The 3rd