ATLANTA — 'Third', the debut feature film from writer-director-actor Alexander Parkinson ('The Wonder Years', 'Found', 'Black Adam'), had its world premiere at the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival at the Tara Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, screening on Friday, April 24.
Parkinson, who won the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival Feature Screenplay Competition for 'Ride or Die', returns with a project he stars in alongside Atlanta actors Coley Campany ('Candy', 'Found', 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye') and Norio Nishimura ('Candy', 'Dynasty', 'Reminiscence'). The premiere took place at one of Atlanta’s most beloved cinematic landmarks during the festival’s 50th anniversary.
'Third' was produced by Sarah Stephens, Brandon Peterson, Allison Victoria-Wolfe and Nishimura, alongside Parkinson as executive producer, through production companies Parky Films and BP40 Creative. The film features a fully Atlanta-based cast and crew.
“The Atlanta Film Festival is the backbone of the Atlanta filmmaking community. I’m delighted to join the ranks of local filmmakers who have premiered at our home festival,” Parkinson said. “Winning the 2025 Feature Screenplay Competition gave me the confidence to continue working toward my feature debut. I’m extremely grateful to the festival for supporting local talent.”
'Third' is an intimate, emotion-led dark comedy that uses the lens of a polyamorous relationship to explore the forces that manipulate our lives. While the story incorporates subtle science-fiction elements, it remains rooted in emotional realism, performance and dialogue, using genre to heighten contemporary anxieties about power, intimacy and personal autonomy.
Thomas and Sandra have reached an uneasy point in their marriage — love remains, but intrigue has faded. When Ernesto 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 grip on reality loosens, Thomas starts looking for answers — and by the time he uncovers Ernesto’s real motives, his marriage cannot be salvaged. 'Third' runs 84 minutes.
Alexander Parkinson is an Australian-American-British actor, writer, director and producer. He grew up in Perth, Western Australia, spent a decade in the UK and is now based in the US. His comedy feature script 'Ride or Die' won the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival Feature Screenplay Competition, and his play 'Last Call at the Fallen Angel' was a second-rounder at the 2025 Austin Film Festival Playwriting Competition. His acting credits include 'Law & Order: SVU', 'Found', 'For All Mankind', 'I’m a Virgo', 'The Wonder Years' and 'Black Adam'.
