MIDNIGHT SNACK

“Without ever sacrificing its mystery, J.T. Thepnapa Chaiyakam crafts an enchanting story where the smallest acts of kindness become extraordinary acts of communication.” — Independent Short Awards

A black background with white text within a white laurel wreath celebrating a semi-finalist award at the 2026 International Film Festival for independent shorts.
People gathered around a table, serving and enjoying food, with a blue lighting ambiance, in a cozy indoor setting.

Production

After more than a decade apart, longtime collaborators David Berry and Tellier Killaby reunited to help bring Midnight Snack to life.

The production brought together a unique blend of industry professionals and emerging filmmakers, with much of the cast and crew made up of David Berry's current UCLA students working alongside experienced professionals. The film is led by Sebastian Goepfert, one of my film students, whose performance as Andy captures the heart and wonder at the story's center.

Inspiration in Strange Places

The idea for Midnight Snack [Post-Production] came from something completely ordinary. The motor in my freezer warped the bottom just enough to leave marks that looked as if something had been scratching from the inside.

It brought me back to growing up in the 1980s, when kids often came home to an empty house, and imagination filled the quiet. Those memories became the foundation for Midnight Snack, a story about childhood wonder, unlikely friendship, and finding magic in the ordinary.

People preparing food at a wooden table with various packaged ingredients and kitchen tools, including electric soldering irons in a busy indoor setting.

The production design team constructed an oversized freezer set, bringing our little frost creature's world to life.

A man operating a camera with a monitor attached, filming a house exterior at night, illuminated by ambient lighting.

Cinematographer David Berry lights the neighborhood for one of the film's nighttime exterior scenes.

A boy with brown hair and a red and beige shirt sitting at a wooden table, with a woman in a green outfit standing near a white refrigerator in a kitchen, viewed from beneath a piece of furniture.

Sebastian Goepfert (Andy) and Telly Kemp (Kay) film an early morning kitchen scene.

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