SPIDER-MAN: MORALES, 17min,. USA
Directed by Sipho A Nxasana
In the wake of a personal tragedy, young Miles Morales begins his journey of donning the mask as the titular hero Spider-Man.

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Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

A lot of what motivated me to make this film stemmed from my life-long adoration of the character of Spider-Man. I think what's always endeared me to him is how human his stories can truly get. I think a lot back to how impactful and meaningful these stories have been to me, and even beyond the mythos of Spider-Man - film has always been such a transformative medium for me. It's a way to not only express yourself, but to give others a voice in doing so. I think that's probably the most important aspect of film. And so when making this, I kept a lot of that in mind.

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

Oh man, where do I even begin? I've wanted to make this film since I was around eleven years old - I'm seventeen now. I really only started working on this when I was about fourteen, that's when I really wanted to get serious about my filmmaking career. But even after that, it wasn't really up from there. Took a lot of trial and error, and it especially took a lot of growth and maturing before I could really sit down and tell the story I wanted to. One could argue I matured a little too fast, but I'd say that it got me to complete this story a lot quicker.

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

I'd describe Spider-Man: Morales - Chapter One as "deeply personal". Not only to me, but I'd like to believe everyone involved as well. This was my first rodeo dealing with a project not only of this caliber, but with a character I'd been so passionate about for all of my life. But beyond my admiration of the Spider-Man character, a lot of this film is me sort of making myself vulnerable in a way that I hadn't really done before. It was an incredibly cathartic and full-circle moment for me, and I'm just glad I was able to experience it with people I loved.

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

I think it was definitely my sort of "imposter syndrome". Spent a lot of the time making this film feeling very anxious about it, and thinking about whether or not I'm doing the right thing, or I'm in the right place in life. I think that's something a lot of creatives can relate to, however. I've just learned to kinda move past it, you know? It doesn't really phase me much anymore.

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

I was in complete awe, to be honest. The idea that these people not only watched this film, but wanted to talk about it? I had to pinch myself. But seeing how many people resonated with and connected with the story I wanted to bring to life means much more to me than I could ever say. The best part about this, however, is that I get to share this all with my wonderful cast and crew, who are just as responsible for this film, if not more than I am.

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

I remember the exact moment I realized I wanted to make films, and it was when I'd watched Edgar Wright's Baby Driver (2017) with my father. Definitely one of my favorite films of all time. I'd always loved movies beforehand, and the theater-going experience was my favorite pastime, but when I watched that movie, and experienced a sort of electricity that I can't really even begin to describe - it just woke something up in me, and since then, film itself has just started to click for me more than before.

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

The movie I've seen most in my life so far is Avengers: Infinity War. I remember seeing that around 80 times from its theatrical run to now, which is even crazy to me. Especially since it has yet to get old for me. I still love it as much as I did at release, to be honest.

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

I'd just love to hear much more feedback. Feedback is the most important thing to me when it comes to releasing a film. I wanna hear what didn't work, what did work, what resonated with you, what we could've done better - all of that stuff is so so important to me, and the more feedback I hear, the more I feel I can truly improve my craft.

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

They've been amazing. FilmFreeway has given me access to opportunities beyond my wildest imagination. I'm so glad I found this website, and I can't wait to use it much more in the future.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Anything related to Hibachi, really. Probably Hibachi Shrimp, I just really do love shrimp.

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

Currently, the Cherry Street Studios crew and I are working on the next part of the Spider-Man: Morales story. We're incredibly excited to be getting the cameras rolling again, and especially with all of this amazing news - we're just so honored to be able to be telling this story and bringing this character to life with our vision. Spider-Man: Morales is a story that I hope can resonate with many different people, as that is the core of the Spider-Man character, and we wanted to stick to that as much as possible, while not compromising our own vision. To be able to have the opportunity to share it around the world with so many people is a gift, and we hope to be able to continue doing so for as long as we possibly can.