SWEET TOOTH
directed by Benji Tucker
United States | 2025 | 13 mins
Short
Synopsis
In Doe Town, smiling is serious business. As the town prepares for its 55th Annual Smile Contest, reigning champion Bucky Bantershire (Pete Gardner) seems destined for yet another victory. But when his long-repressed sweet tooth (Marissa Jaret Winokur) makes an unexpected comeback, his perfectly polished world begins to crack. What follows is a wildly colourful, sugar-fuelled musical adventure in which temptation takes centre stage, and keeping a straight face — let alone a perfect smile — becomes increasingly impossible.
Film information
Year: 2025
Country: United States
Runtime: 13 minutes
Language: English
Cast & Crew
Director: Benji Tucker
Producer: Zach Rineer
Associate Producer: Yoni Azulay, Dlisah Lapidus
Cast: Pete Gardner, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Ryder Robinson, Gracie Moore, Lilah Collins, Lori Nasso
Cinematography: Benjy Berkowitz
Editing: William Lancaster
Original Score: Tatyana Richaud
Screening schedule
Wednesday, November 18, 2026
5:00 PM
as part of NYFW Shorts Program
Cobble Hill Cinemas
265 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Language
English
About the Director
Benji Tucker is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker whose vividly stylised work draws inspiration from American folk art, classic animation and his upbringing in Utah. Through his production company, Doe Town Pictures, he creates playful, imaginative worlds where musical storytelling meets offbeat humour. His films and music videos have screened at festivals including NFFTY, ASIFA-East and the Dumbo Film Festival. His creative work also includes a commission for Netflix connected to tick, tick… BOOM! A YoungArts award recipient, Tucker studied film and television production at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
