Independent Documentary
Role: Director / Producer / Editor
Mr. Christmas is a 15-minute documentary about Bruce Mertz, a Northern California man who spent decades transforming his home into an elaborate Christmas display of more than 50,000 lights and towering fixtures he built by hand. The film looks beyond the spectacle to tell the story of the man behind it — and how a kid who grew up on a farm without electricity became a local Christmas legend.
I grew up in Northern California, where every Christmas my family would drive past Bruce’s house to see the display. Years later, I happened to run into him at a bar on Christmas Eve. He arrived wearing a jacket covered in flashing Christmas lights, greeted everyone in the room, ordered a beer — then sat by himself in the corner. The contrast between this larger-than-life figure from my childhood and the solitary man I saw that night fascinated me. I struck up a conversation with him, and that conversation became Mr. Christmas.
Awards & Recognition
Palm Springs International ShortFest — Audience Award, Best Documentary
Cleveland International Film Festival — Best Documentary Short Film
Rhode Island International Film Festival — First Prize, Best Documentary Short
Aspen Shortsfest — Special Jury Award
Chicago International Film Festival — Gold Hugo Nominee, Best Short Film
Official Selections Include
Hot Docs • Silverdocs • Los Angeles Film Festival
Nick Palmer 