‘TINSEL’ - a short film is unashamedly inspired by cult action movies and is about a lonely 36-year-old actor with ADHD becoming the unlikey hero of an armed hostage situation, all whilst working as an Elf in a British garden center at Christmas.

‘TINSEL’ is a blink and you’ll miss it Christmas story about being nice and never giving up. Playing an elf, in a Christmas grotto, in a sleepy garden centre, shouldn’t cause too much drama for our main character, Tinsel. Which is ideal, because he’s had enough drama already. He’s estranged from his own family, and we join him at a time in his life where everything is pretty tough. He’s just discovered he’s had undiagnosed ADHD since childhood and he’s also struggling with motivation to keep persevering with his dream of becoming a famous actor.


He doesn’t let this get him down though, his imagination and love of classic action movies keeps him going on his pursuit of fame and acceptance. Even if he does embarrass himself in front Holly, the girl he fancies at the garden centre, gets mugged off by mouthy garden centre employee Karen and attacked by a Dad who would most certainly be on Santa’s naughty list.

However, just like in every classic Christmas tale, our hero never gives up. Even when the garden centre he’s working in erupts in gunfire and thrusts Tinsel into a life or death armed hostage situation at the end of his shift. Jake McGregor, a financially struggling single father and farmer, decides enough is enough and triggers a tense stand-off with an armed police unit, which our elf becomes stuck in the middle of.


Tinsel’s favourite film, ‘Die Hard’, becomes art imitating life, as he attempts to save the day. Not with guns and yippee ki yay’s though, but with garden hoes, a plastic Christmas tree and, most importantly, by being nice.


Will Tinsel get the girl, conquer his festive demons, plus save the garden centre and Christmas? He probably will, if he can concentrate for a sec.