THE TALES OF BOBA FETT, 4min., USA
Directed by Benson Mckay
After a group of smugglers acquire a valuable asset, they soon realize they're not alone. Without warning, they are being hunted by one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy.

https://youtu.be/XEfHLQy-xLk

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

      Boba Fett is one of those characters I feel you can do a lot with. He reminds me of Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name, there's not a whole lot you know about him, and I think that's what makes him so much fun. We wanted to make a movie that showcased the more brutal side of his character and show the fear and panic that occurs with those who try to oppose him.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

      Longer than it should have! We filmed around May of 2022 and didn't release it until May 2023. The actual scripting and production didn't take very long. I wrote it in an evening and from there we had pre-production meetings for a few weeks to gather costumes, actors, props, and locations, blocking and things like that. Principal photography only took us a day to complete. Our bottleneck happened during post-production. Everyone on J&J team have full time jobs and some have families so it was a matter of prioritization, not to mention we had other projects in the pipeline. It was a long process but satisfying to watch when everything came together.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

      Award winning 😉

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

      Post-production. I don't know if other filmmakers have this issue, but there is so much build up to principal production that once filming is complete it feels like running a marathon and you just want to sleep for a few day afterwards. Our original editor got extremely busy with work and the project became stagnate and sat on the shelf for a while. I decided to edit it and with Jonny Gallo spearheading the VFX, we were able to complete it in a couple months.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

      It made me smile. I was nodding along with their feedback thinking, "they get it". It feels good when your project is received well.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

      I grew up with movies like Star Wars (OT), Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it wasn't until I saw Jaws for the first time when I was 14 that I wanted to make movies. I'd borrow the cassette tape and CD soundtrack from the library and listen to it for hours while making stop motion LEGO movies on my dad's Hi8 camcorder.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

      It would probably be something I grew up with like Jurassic Park or something I watch yearly like the LOTR trilogy or Braveheart. In fact, I have Braveheart pretty much memorized line by line and can recite it at any time!

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

Just keep events like these going, helping with outreach for small independent filmmakers!

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Great! Excited to apply to more festivals and share our projects with the world

10. What is your favorite meal?

      Pho. Don't care the season. Pho is like a warm hug and hits the spot every time!

11. What is next for you? A new film?

      J&J has some really fun projects in the works, most notably for Avatar the Last Airbender. We just finished editing a really fun fight scene between Sokka and Suki.