A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… 

At a time when Star Wars fans haven’t been able to venture into movie theaters, it’s been an interesting period for inspired creative content. Star Wars fans worldwide have managed to create and release several fan films, some impeccably produced, beautifully acted and directed with off-the-chart compelling stories. There are so many great Star Wars fan films, it is impossible to pick a favorite. Last week, I watched two new films; both are a must-watch for any Star Wars fan. However, one caught my attention. It was made on a shoestring budget utilizing smart cinematography and technical tricks mirroring Disney’s high budget television series, The Mandalorian. Yes, it’s that good, my friends. 

With fan films popping up all the time, shorts such as Star Wars: Origins takes a deep dive into an aspect of the Star Wars universe that isn’t often touched. The film presents an interesting concept: what happens if archeologists found artifacts clearly made by intelligent beings featured in the Star Wars space franchise?

What it comes down to is, if you love movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Stargate, Origins will be right up your alley.

Two rough and tough archeologists named Ellie (Marie Everett) and Walter (Jamie Costa) find themselves in the Saharan Desert in 1944, where they have to use their wits to outsmart their evil pursuers in a race for the prize – an ancient discovery hidden away for centuries.

Here is the synopsis for Star Wars: Origins in full:

“Two archeologists make an amazing discovery that has the power to unite the World during a critical moment in history – if they’re not silenced first”.

Written and directed by Phil Hawkins, former contestant on the reality competition On The Lot, and working alongside producer Gary Cowan of Velvet Film, Origins is a culmination of three years of hard work that attempts to create something unique to the Star Wars Universe. The film also features cinematography by David Meadows and imaginative music by Richard Bodgers.

Speaking in a recent behind-the-scenes video interview, Hawkins said: “I didn’t want to make your usual fan film with lightsaber fights and Stormtroopers. These characters and story need to exist without the baggage of Star Wars.“

The filmmaker also added subtle Star Wars references and teasers: “I wanted to keep the audience guessing in a fun way, because there are going to be a bunch of Easter eggs throughout the film that allude to the origins of Star Wars.”

After watching Origins, my mind was changed about fan films entirely. Personally, I’m not really that big into these types of films; however, a friend of mine told me to check it out, and it really surprised me. One thing that initially caught my attention was it felt something like a 1940’s serial rather than an actual fan film made in 2019.

The story has a glow of its own, to which all the beautiful scenery, great cinematography, and special effects are just balancing factors. There’s a great deal of action and an incredibly well-choreographed chase sequence that involves Jeeps, tanks, and Nazi bad guys. The excitement I felt when the film finally gets to its pay-off is one of my favorite parts. It’s both a compliment and a criticism to say that the filmleft me wanting much more, which is one reason why I didn’t include spoiler-filled imagery into the body of this story. So many questions? We can only hope that there is a sequel in the works.

Anyhow, if you’re looking to immerse yourself in some Star Wars fandom, then this is definitely the film to do it!

You can check out the Official Trailer below!

The full film was released on 12th December 2019, one week before Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. You can check out the complete film at the Star Wars: Origins Official Website.

May the Force be with you…