SXSW 2015: The First Trailer for the Legendary ‘Raiders!’

At a time when fan films are the subject of great scrutiny, after the amazing new Power Rangers short has been threatened with legal action over the use of copyrighted characters, a film like Raiders! is bound to attract a lot of attention. The new documentary, premiering at SXSW 2015, chronicles the journey of Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos, who embarked on an ambitious journey to remake Steven Spielberg’s action classic Raiders of the Lost Ark, shot for shot, on video, as 12-year-olds in 1982.

Their film, Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation, has since become something of a legend in film-loving circles, representing not only the passion that fans have for their favorite movies, but also the extent to which that passion can inspire audience members to make movies themselves. But after Zala and Strompolos had a falling out, their Raiders of the Lost Ark remake was left incomplete.

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The new documentary, Raiders!, not only looks back at the original production of their epic fan film but also puts Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos back in the director’s chair to finally shoot the final sequence of the film: the epic fight scene between Indy and Nazis in front of the propellers of a fighter plane. You can see clips of the production of this brand new sequence, as well as the history of Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation, in the first trailer for the new documentary above.

See below for the full press release, and information about when and where you can see Raiders! at SXSW 2015.

From the Press Release:

Raiders!, a documentary of the story behind the greatest fan film ever made, is set to have its world premiere at SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX on March 14, 2015. Raiders! chronicles the epic thirty year journey that began in 1982 when two twelve-year-old kids in Mississipi set out to film a mind-bogglingly ambitious shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark. 

It took Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos seven summers to make Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation. By saving up their allowances, hijacking younger siblings, and setting Eric‘s basement on fire, the boys used astonishing ingenuity to make a film that is surprisingly entertaining and even stunning at times. 

For fifteen years, Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation was nearly a forgotten masterpiece of fan filmmaking until Aint It Cool News‘ Harry Knowles screened it publicly in Austin, TX from a copy obtained by filmmaker Eli Roth. It became an instant phenomenon, generating global media coverage and even getting the attention of Chris and Eric‘s idol, Steven Spielberg.

Eric, Chris and their childhood cast and crew reshot every scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Every scene except one: the infamous Flying Wing scene where the shirtless Nazi strongman is cut up by the circling plane‘s propeller. Needless to say, as children in the early 1980s, it was difficult for them to procure a suitable plane to blow up in Mississippi. Being the perfectionists that they are, it‘s something that has always nagged at Eric and Chris.

Raiders! follows the twenty-five year reunion of most of the original cast and crew, now in their early 40s, in Ocean Springs, MS to finally complete the adaptation with this last missing scene in the summer of 2014. How have time and adulthood changed everyone? Will they still have the same determination and excitement they had as kids? What do their family members think of it? This insightful and heartfelt documentary reveals for the first time the full behind-the-scenes story of Chris and Eric‘s inspiring journey to finally finish their labor of love. Raiders! digs deep into their friendship and their mutual persistence to complete a seemingly ridiculous and impossible task, reminding us of the innocence and purity we had as children to follow our dreams no matter how crazy or stupid others said they are.

SXSW Film Screening Schedule:

Following the World Premiere screening of Raiders! there will be a special screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adapation, giving SXSW attendees the chance to get the full behind-the-scenes story as well as experience the greatest fan film ever made!

Alamo Drafthouse S. Lamar – Saturday, March 14 @ 9:00 PM (World Premiere)

Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane – Monday, March 16 @ 12:00 PM

Alamo Drafthouse S. Lamar – Thursday, March 19 @ 9:00 PM

Vimeo Theater – Friday, March 20 @ 9:45 PM

Directors Jeremy Coon & Tim Skousen and cast members Eric Zala & Chris Strompolos will be in attendance.

Raiders! synopsis:

In 1982, two 11 year-olds in Mississippi set out to remake their favorite film: Raiders of the Lost Ark. It took seven turbulent years that tested the limits of their friendship and nearly burned down their mother’s house. By the end, they had completed every scene except one… the explosive airplane scene. Thirty years later, they attempt to finally realize their childhood dream by building a replica of the 75-foot “Flying Wing” plane from Raiders in a mud pit in the backwoods of Mississippi… and then blow it up! This is the story behind the making of what is known as “the greatest fan film ever made.”