WATCH THE TRAILER

"THE LAST PADAWAN II" is a 50-minute action-adventure film directed and written by Jesper Tønnes. The film was produced on a non-profit basis, utilizing a volunteer cast and crew, and was shot within a 12-day period with a budget of 200,000 DKK (30,285 USD). The story is set within the STAR WARS universe and features an original set of characters. We follow a young Jedi Padawan going on an adventure to save the planet of Dantoine from the evil Empire.

While treating its science fiction elements in a manner that is consistent with STAR WARS. The film also draws inspiration from the works of prominent filmmakers such as Akira Kurasawa, Sergio Leone, Steven Spielberg. The director Jesper Tønnes also served as the film's lead actor, producer and visual effects supervisor. The was released in September of 2021.

The film was made not only as a tribute to STAR WARS, but also to the cinematic tradition of adventure films in general. Adventure films are known for their ability to transport audiences into exciting and thrilling worlds, offering escapism from the mundanity of everyday life. They often feature larger-than-life heroes and heroines who undertake dangerous quests and overcome seemingly impossible obstacles, inspiring viewers to believe in their own strength and courage. Adventure films also employ strong visual storytelling and striking cinematography, making for an immersive and captivating viewing experience. Moreover, adventure films often touch on universal themes such as exploration, self-discovery, and the pursuit of adventure, making them relatable and meaningful to audiences of all ages.

I have always wanted to explore my fascination and love for adventure films. The Last Padawan films gave me and opportunity to go “all in”. I truly believe the best way to make films for a broad audience is to disguise the film as something exciting everyone can enjoy, but at the same time serve something deep and meaningful. In this case a story about the power and balance of pacifism. - Jesper Tønnes

GRAB SOME POPCORN, TURN UP THE SPEAKERS AND

WATCH “THE LAST PADAWA II” HERE:

CURRENT AMOUNT OF VIEWS ON YOUTUBE:

BEHIND THE SCENES

Behind the scenes photos by Yannick Wolff

The Art of Filmmaking Collaboration

In addition to his own projects, Jesper Tønnes has been working as a First Assistant Director in film and television since 2018, collaborating with prominent directors such as Lars von Trier, Nicolas Winding Refn, and Thomas Vinterberg. This experience, along with his background in creating independent theater, performance art, and film, has informed his development of a unique philosophy for creating ambitious film productions that also prioritize financial responsibility.

Filmmaking is, at its core, about communication. It's about effectively conveying vision, workflow, and process to the team involved in the production. When creating an ambitious film, it's crucial to consider the financial aspects of filmmaking. Gear, food, transport, ect. can easily break a indie-film-budget, so it was very important for me that we spend the small amount of money we had on things the audience would be able to feel. As a filmmaker, I see many directors delegate the planning and production aspects of the film to their team, but I believe that the creative process is closely tied to the budget of the project. Making compromises and adjusting one's vision to align with a budget and shooting schedule is an integral part of the role of a film director. More often than not, it can lead to great creative inspiration. Therefore, I always strive to be heavily involved in the planning of the film. My approach is not to micromanage every aspect of the production, but to make sure that all the talented individuals I callobarate with understand the possibilities /limitations of our project, and that we all are working toward the same goals.

In the case of THE LAST PADAWAN 2, we addressed the challenges by carefully scaling the vision of the film according to the available budget and time. We relied on smart creative solutions, such as writing the story for specific locations that were all interconnected and planning everything in advance. This allowed us to make the most of our shooting days and prevented the talented crew from having to idle around waiting for me to make decisions. While there will always be unexpected challenges in every production, we were able to mitigate them by using storyboards, pre-visualization, and creating floorplans for almost the entire film, so we were always ready to tackle any issues that arose. - Jesper Tønnes

Examples from “The Last Padawan 2” tech-script

In conclusion

Making a low-budget STAR WARS film was in no way an easy task. It was always my goal to make something that was “more than a fan film”. I love high-concept/genre-films and I know that the only way to make future collaborators believe my future films are possible to make, is to prove it. So here it is: THE LAST PADAWAN FILMS. They’re popular with their target audience, made for almost nothing, filled with VFX, and a sky-high production value.

These films were a blast to make, and possible to produce because of careful planning and a huge focus on craftmanship. We shot this film way too fast but I think it turned okay in the end. Because we always knew how to get from A to B, and focused on bringing everyone involved with us. By the end of the day, filmmaking is not about looking good on Instagram or living some kind of “filmmaker" fantasy”. It’s about creating something bigger than the individuals involved and giving the audience an experience, not just a piece of content.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want to know more about the film. - Jesper Tønnes