Timothy J. Cox: Crafting Intimate Stories That Linger
With three compelling films now streaming on Shortly.film – After, Hard Truths, and Sundays With Dad – Timothy J. Cox has established himself as a filmmaker who understands the profound power of the everyday moment. After over 25 years as an actor, Cox made the leap to writing and producing, bringing a performer’s deep understanding of character to his intimate storytelling approach.
Cox’s films don’t offer neat resolutions. Instead, they present carefully observed vignettes that invite audiences to sit with questions about human nature, family dynamics, and the complex emotions that drive us. Whether exploring a father’s struggle between justice and vengeance, a professional relationship tested by difficult news, or the delicate dance between a grieving father and his concerned son, Cox creates characters that feel familiar yet deeply specific.
We sat down with Timothy to discuss his transition from acting to filmmaking, his philosophy on leaving audiences with lingering questions, and how he’s helping to elevate short films as an independent art form worthy of recognition.
Shortly: What sparked your passion for short films, and what unique storytelling qualities do you find in this format compared to other mediums?
I think there are a number of extraordinary things that you can do with short films, but I think you need to be very specific with the stories that you want to tell.
In the case of my short films After, Hard Truths and Sundays With Dad, I present a sneak peek into the lives of the characters in those films. They’re vignettes. I shine a light on one specific moment or moments in those characters lives. The characters are everyday people, thrust into situations that a lot of people can relate to and where there’s not necessarily a resolution at the end of the film. To me that’s okay. I don’t like resolutions in films. I like walking away from a film with questions…questions about the characters, their motivations, their hopes and dreams. What do they want? What are they fighting for? And I find, when I ask those kinds of questions, I really do connect with the character and the material in a very personal way. That’s the power in any film, but with a really good short film, you zero in on that everyday situation and shine a light on it. That’s always been my goal in everything that I’ve written. I like audiences to walk away from my films with questions, wondering about the characters and what they’re going through. When people connect to the characters and if what they’re going through resonates with them, that’s the best.
What elements of your storytelling approach do you believe resonate most with audiences and juries?
I think I create characters that audiences can relate to. They’re grounded, truthful, familiar. Michael, the father in After, is torn between this need for justice, but also this desire for vengeance, for the murder of his son. Annie, the daughter, is worried about her father, but she is also grieving the loss of her brother.
Peter, in Hard Truths, is a genuinely decent man, but he has to deliver this news to his client Hope, who is almost like a family to him, and he knows that this news is going to crush her and Hope has doubts about Peter’s sincerity. He’s fought for her in the past. Will he fight for her now?
And Jason in Sundays with Dad is a man who genuinely loves his father Ben, but is also worried about him as he knows Ben is still grieving the recent loss of his wife. And Ben is grieving, but this new opportunity has presented itself and he wants to see where it goes.
How do you envision the evolution of short films – as an independent art form or primarily as a stepping stone to feature filmmaking? And what projects are you developing that reflect this vision?
Compared to 10–15 years ago, I think short films have evolved in the industry and have been embraced more as an independent art form. Years ago, a film critic told me that, in his opinion, that short films aren’t really films. I don’t hear that opinion quite as much today, which I deeply appreciate. I also appreciate that there are more sites out there like Shortly.film, CinemaShort and Reveel, that showcase short films, giving filmmakers from all over the world the opportunity to have their work seen by a wider audience.
I have written two more short scripts, “Good Luck To Me”, co-written with Heather Bayles and “Dan’s Birthday”. “Good Luck To Me” is currently in post-production and “Dan’s Birthday” is a scheduled for a July shoot.
If you could personify your greatest creative challenge, what form would it take, and how has confronting it shaped your filmmaking journey?
As I have been primarily an actor for the last 25+ years, I would say the greatest creative challenge was when I finally started to write the script for “After” two years ago. In the past, I had tried to write scripts, but I never went the distance. I never had the confidence. I don’t know, maybe I’m older, maybe I have a little bit more life under my belt. I decided to embrace the challenge and take the leap. When I sat down to write the script for “After”, it was a very freeing and cathartic experience. I presented the script to director, Thomas Angeletti, and I thought, if Tom likes it, then we’re going to go ahead and make this into a movie. He did and the rest is history.
So I guess the key is “embrace the challenges”.
We’re thrilled to bring you a carefully curated selection of short films that prove the most moving stories often come in the briefest moments.
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