Exclusive Interview: Andrew Jara (The Empty Space)
So far in your filmmaking career you have Directed, Produced and Written several of the
projects you have worked on. For you personally which of these roles is your favourite to
work in and why?
I’m not sure what’s first but I know producing is last. I used to jump at saying writing because
you have no limitations. It can be as big or small as you want. But now I have to say directing
because it’s when everything comes together. There was a day on The Empty Space when we
had the full cast bringing my words to life, I don’t think there could be a better feeling than that.
What for you is the biggest difference between working on a feature film and a short
film?
You have to really be in love with a feature film. One feature takes me about 5 years at least and
so it has to be something that I really want to do and say something I really want to say. With
The Empty Space, it was a message I felt I needed to say so that the movie was going to get
made no matter what.
With a short, I can experiment and play with ideas or concepts I might want to try. Like I’ve
always loved found footage, but was scared to take the plunge with a full feature. On my
youtube page, I was able to make two, Wellness Check and Prey, so now I think I can tackle
something bigger.
Your latest feature film THE EMPTY SPACE (2020) has recently been released by BayView
Entertainment. What can you tell us about your science fiction/horror film THE EMPTY
SPACE without giving the movie away?
The Empty Space is about Aimee Andrews dealing with anxiety and depression after losing her
boyfriend, Noah, in a violent attack. The film follows her as she tries to find some sense of
normalcy and even joins a support group. Then one day Noah comes back! All her dreams have
been answered! But there’s something off about him, something missing and she’ll have to
decide who or what has really returned and what they want from her.
What inspired you in the writing process for THE EMPTY SPACE as the film deals with
anxiety, something that many people deal with on a daily basis and how did you make it
fit the structure of the science fiction/horror elements of the film?
I have dealt with anxiety all my life but it wasn’t until I was working in LA I started to put a name
to it. One of the reasons it took so long is because in movies and tv I always saw anxiety and
depression defined in very one note ways but when I was experiencing it, I was still going to the gym and seeing friends. So on the outside everything looked normal, on the inside I felt hollow.
Like an empty space.
So once I realized what it was, I wanted to make a movie that was a realistic portrayal of living
with anxiety and depression. But as I started to write, I realized the realism I wanted was an
emotional realism as I wanted the viewers to feel what it was like to live with anxiety and
depression. Naturally that led me to the horror/sci-fi genre. I was able to use their tropes to get
the audience to emotionally feel what it was like to live with mental illness. Mixing all the genres
into kind of a cosmic gumbo.
Your zombie movie THE LAST ONES (2012) was screened originally under the title LAST
DAYS (2010). For those that are unaware what are the differences between these films,
why did they happen and will both versions (if not already) be available for people to
buy?
So The Last Ones is the new name and Last Days was the festival name. The biggest difference
is after it had its festival run, we did one more pass through as I always felt it was too long. The
other big difference was The Last Ones is in black and white while Last Days is in color. The
movie is more of a zombie-drama than a straight horror and I think the black and white prepares
the audience more for that. I think it’s an interesting film but if you go in expecting the standard
action zombie horror you’re gonna be disappointed.
They are really so similar that only The Last Ones is available but you can get it on Amazon and
on Tubi. I hope more people discover that film and maybe if BayView Entertainment wants we can release Last Days!
BORDERLAND (2016) is a fine blending of action, crime and comedy. As comedy is
subjective, did you find this part of the film a big task to write in the script to work
alongside the action and crime elements?
I find comedy is easy to blend because life is just funny. It’s the same approach I took with The
Empty Space. I think even in my lowest moments there were always these moments of levity.
So I wanted to always include that. I think it oddly makes things feel more realistic. The
ridiculousness of existence.
As a filmmaker you are tasked with many potential challenges not just on set but
throughout the whole filmmaking journey. What for you is the biggest challenge?
I think the biggest challenge will always be confidence. These movies take so much of my life
that I have to really believe in a project to take that leap. But that’s where the writing stage
comes in. Getting the story where it needs to be helps me build that confidence so I take the
plunge.
What are your Top 3 science fiction or horror films from any decade?
I think The Thing (1982), Gojira (1954) and The Exorcist (1973). I think they are some of the best movies ever made and can still teach us so much. Plus they’re all pretty scary!!
For any budding filmmakers out there, what is the best piece of advice that you could
give them?
Get your stuff in front of an audience. I always say that a movie isn’t finished until an audience
watches it. That’s when you really find out how the movie is doing. Seeing what clicks with
people and what doesn’t. I think it’s the best way to become a better filmmaker.
Finally, what projects do you have coming up?
I have a found-footage movie coming up about a streamer who is getting stalked. It mostly plays
out in real time and I’m very excited to start on that!
Valerie Alene, from The Empty Space, and I also made a short last Halloween that is coming out soon. Getting to work together again was amazing and I can’t wait for our next project.
You can stay up to date with Andrew Jara and his work via the social media links below:
Instagram: @jara_films
Twitter: @Jara_Films
YouTube: @jarafilms
Interview by Peter ‘Witchfinder‘ Hopkins
The Empty Space is out now on Blu-ray (Region Free) in the USA from BayView Entertainment.
Available to order on Blu-ray (Region FREE) now at:
The Empty Space is also available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and Amazon Prime Video in the USA.