Amazing Star Wars Fan Film and Interview With the Creator Joe Sill
Really good short films are really passionate and just thrust you into the middle of the story and tell you to sink or swim. But most sci-fi films are pretty shallow when it comes to pathos. Never mind sci-fi fan film short films… they can be really really bad. But that is not the case at all with Joe Sill’s Star Wars short film Kara. Man, this thing is seriously heavy on backstory and passion. So much so that I am really interested in learning more about this here Kara character, that is for sure.
“Kara” | (2016) (An Unofficial Star Wars Film) from Joe Sill on Vimeo.
Once I saw the film I knew I had to track down someone from the team that produced this thing. And luckily, the writer and director of the project was happy enough to humor me and my crazy questions!
THinc – “Absolutely adored the film. Really thought it was quality from beginning to end. But probably the biggest highlight to the film was the pathos and the real passion in it. Where did this story come from and what have you the idea in the first place?”
Joe Sill – “Yeah! The story came from a personal place I guess — I always love stories based in a familial core. I wanted to — in very few lines of dialogue — convey the love a father has for his daughter, as well as tell a bit of a day in the life of two people that have lost someone very close to them, and how they both struggle and cope with this differently, based on what stage they’re at in their lives. Kara is young and essentially is still coming of age, and Markus is definitely an adult but by nature of not having the Force the way Kara does, he still doesn’t know how to be a perfect parent.”
THinc – “The film’s sand dunes and setting are amazing. Was any of that CG? Or did you haul the crew all the way into the middle of nowhere? I was really convinced either way.”
Joe Sill – “We shot in the Imperial Sand Dunes down by the border of Mexico. That’s all real sand.”
THinc – “Obviously your idea came way before The Force Awakens was released – and yet, there are some amazing similarities between your fan film and Abrams’ multi-billion dollar juggernaut. What were your thoughts when you saw the film about the similarities? If you need some pump priming, Kara’s mother (vs missing parents), her emotional rawness as a result, her force abilities, the whole millennium falcon escape scene over Jakku is echoed, etc etc…”
Joe Sill – “When I saw the film, I saw some similarities in they both share such a strong desire to tell stories about families, and their struggles. Rey definitely has hers, Kylo definitely has his, and it’s all about those relationships and their reasons to fight for or against the family that they came from. I think that resonated with me.” (And while I’m here, I assume you guys are big Star Wars fans, what were your thoughts with the new film?)
THinc – “How did you pull this film together funding wise and resource wise. I know that Whitelist was involved, (who does amazing amazing work by the way) but was it a volunteer effort?”
Joe Sill – “Pulling the production together was interesting — most of us have worked together on a countless basis so it was pretty easy to convince everyone to do a passion project, since we had all done mostly commercial work together this past year. And once I told people it was a Star Wars fan film…people were ecstatic. One, it’s a narrative film so that immediately induces passion and drive to create together, and two, Star Wars is just a playground people — myself included — love to imagine in.
THinc – “And do you have any larger plans for Kara? I don’t think I’m alone in saying that I’d definitely love to see more of Kara’s story.”
Joe Sill – “Plans for Kara…hope that people enjoy it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think there was more to the story…and if there’s a future where we get to tell that story, awesome.
THinc – “Thanks for the film. It was really touching and quite amazing. So few short films (let alone fan films) have any heart to them, but you definitely did. So kudos to you. Being a huge Star Wars fan myself I absolutely loved it. Great job.”
Joe Sill – “Thanks for letting me answer these Taylor! I really appreciate this and I’m glad it resonated with you, as I’m sure you are probably as huge a SW fan as I am.”
