Secret 'Rendezvous': Albuquerque-based director Brent Peterson to premiere 'Star Wars' fan film at NHCC
Aug. 17—Brent Peterson is a fan of film.
This is exactly why the Albuquerque resident began his production company, Antigravity Films.
Over the course of three years, Peterson has been working on a passion project which will get its premiere at the National Hispanic Cultural Center at 7p.m. Friday, Aug. 18.
He will present the world premiere of the fan film "Star Wars: Rendezvous," followed by a Q&A with featured local filmmakers. Peterson and Crystal Thomas of Red on the Side Productions will host the event.
Peterson is a "Star Wars" fan and always wanted to create something in that universe.
"I wrote the script in 2020, and it won a fan fiction screenwriting contest," he says. "Knowing that it would be expensive, I took my time with creating the series."
The film was shot at the end of 2021 with two main locations — San Lorenzo Canyon and Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area.
"We also shot in a warehouse in Albuquerque for a limited scene," he says.
With filming on location, Peterson and his crew had to plan accordingly to get the production completed.
As with any other film production, there were hiccups along the way.
Peterson says filming took place in November 2021 and had received a permit to film in San Lorenzo Canyon.
What he didn't realize is that there were too many campers and hikers in the area.
"It wasn't supposed to be that packed," he says. "We arrived with all the crew and there was very little space to use. Our permit wasn't exclusive, and we couldn't do anything about it. We had to postpone it and came back a few weeks later."
There was more filming done in April 2022 and this is where the story gets interesting, Peterson says.
"I was dressed up as Darth Maul doing a scene with Ahsoka," he says. "There were some hikers coming through, and they watched us film. Some of them took pictures, and it ended up on Reddit asking if it was the new 'Star Wars' film. It gave us some buzz."
Peterson says the script is coming from a place of love as a fan.
"All the words flowed out of me, and it felt good to get that out there," he says. "I'm usually behind the camera, but on this one I wanted to be in front of the camera. My son's favorite character was Darth Maul, and I'm doing the film to honor him."
Peterson's journey into film has been a long one.
Growing up in the North Valley, he was a fan of films such as "Star Wars," "E.T." and "Indiana Jones."
"I remember wanting to be an astronaut, an archaeologist and more," he says because of the films. "When I got into middle school I finally realized I wanted to be those things because of the films I was watching. That's when I realized I wanted to make films. There weren't any classes back then, so I started to read any book I could. Instead of presenting projects orally in class, I asked if I could make video essays instead. I made a lot of documentaries on my dad's VHS camera."
When Peterson got to Valley High School, he found the school had a VHS deck-to-deck professional editor that wasn't being used.
"I immediately asked if I could learn," he says. "I became a library aide and began my journey, which hasn't stopped."
SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @agomezART.
