WHY DINOSAURS?

USA | 2024 | 94 min. | James Pinto, Tony Pinto

Why dinosaurs? For starters, they’re super cool. But leave it to Tony Pinto and his son James to document all the fascinating details of the titans that once roamed the Earth and hear from paleontologists, filmmakers, and true blue dino-fans. Ages 8+

Director/Writer/Producer James Pinto and Producer Tara Pinto scheduled to attend.

Can't get enough of our fossilized predecessors? Attend the May 18 screening for a chance to win tickets to the Burke Museum.

Why Dinosaurs? traces the humble beginnings, explorations, and a few different fascinating findings of self-confessed dinosaur enthusiast youth James Pinto and his filmmaker father, Tony. This film explores the zeitgeist of dinosaurs and their long and meandering path through the ins and outs of popular culture and modern science. Investigating the experiences of everyone ranging from museum curators, toy collectors, artists and even a state senator, the documentary provides a bird’s-eye view through paleontology, cinema, and art history. More than just a movie about dinosaurs, it delves deep into the subject with timely, in-depth conversations involving some of the best-known minds working in paleontology as well as other dinosaur-adjacent fields. Tracing the history along with fun visual animations and an immersive narrative, the film weaves together an intricate and exciting story of how modern paleontology has developed over the centuries across several continents and areas of study. Further, the documentary is an interesting testament towards the timelessness of dinosaurs and their universal allure across ages and disciplines.

—AB

  • Director: James Pinto, Tony Pinto
  • Principal Cast: James Pinto, Dean Lomax, Kallie Moore, Scott Sampson, Phil Currie
  • Premiere Status: World
  • Country: USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Morocco, China
  • Year: 2024
  • Running Time: 94 min.
  • Producer: James Pinto, Tara Pinto, Tony Pinto
  • Screenplay: James Pinto, Tony Pinto
  • Cinematographers: Tony Pinto
  • Editors: James Pinto, Tony Pinto
  • Music: Raphaël Dargent
  • Website: Official Film Website
  • Filmography: Debut Feature Film
  • Language: English