Filmmaker Alex Woodruff is set to make his directorial debut at the 2025 BronzeLens Film Festival with Thomasville, a 14-minute psychodrama inspired by his own family history in Atlanta’s Thomasville Heights neighborhood.
Starring Stephen Ruffin as Thomas and Jay Jones—who’s nominated for Best Actor at BronzeLens—the film unfolds entirely inside a rain-soaked car. There, a young man and his ailing father face a lifetime of unspoken truths before time runs out.
“This film is my love letter to Atlanta and my family,” Woodruff shared. “It’s about the power of truth and having those uncomfortable conversations—while you can.”
Thomasville is dedicated to Woodruff’s late uncle, Marc Minor, whose life inspired the story. Through its intimate setting, the short explores themes of Black legacy, love, loss, and the complexities of generational history. It also addresses the impact of the Atlanta Red Dog Unit, gentrification, and the unshakable weight of family roots.
The film has already made an impressive festival run, screening at Oscar®-qualifying events including Palm Springs ShortFest (World Premiere), San Jose International Short Film Festival, and Cleveland International Film Festival, along with selections at Urban World Film Festival, Milwaukee Film Festival, Phoenix Film Festival, Omaha Film Festival, Cordillera Film Festival, Pittsburgh Shorts, and Micheaux Film Festival.
Produced by Kiah Clingman of KiahCan Productions and Pineapple Cut Pictures, Thomasville aligns with both companies’ commitment to telling socially relevant, underrepresented stories with authenticity.
For Woodruff, premiering in Atlanta holds a deeper meaning. Not only is this his hometown and the place that inspired the film, but it’s also the first time Thomasville will be shown to the very community that shaped its story. The screening takes place Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 2:40 p.m. at the Tara Theater.
Celebrating its 16th year, the BronzeLens Film Festival continues to spotlight the work of filmmakers of color from Atlanta, the Southeast, and around the globe. With industry partners like Warner Bros. Discovery, SONY Pictures, Tyler Perry Studios, HBO, NBC/Universal Films, BET, VH1, Panavision, and Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY, BronzeLens has built a reputation for championing independent storytellers and creating career-shaping opportunities.
For more information visit: https://bronzelens.com/