From Southeast Asian travels with his punk band, LyMe, to absorbing diverse cultures and meeting a myriad of people, Javier Badillo is channeling all these experiences into his forthcoming sci-fi musical comedy short titled “Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake.”
Surrounding himself with an exceptional crew, Badillo has onboarded Dallas Harvey, a skilled SFX artist and producer recognized for his work on shows like The Exorcist. He also has Andy Brown, a cinematographer whose contributions extend to films such as The Revenant and co-creating the Star Wars web series Bucketheads. Adding a touch of creativity is mixed-media animator and comic illustrator Oripoto. The narrative of the film was jointly penned by Badillo and his talented wife, Nat Marshik, who transitioned from a celebrated poet to a screenwriter.
The plot revolves around the young band lead, Lupe Quezada, portrayed by Sofia Skates, who finds herself stranded in the vastness of space. Drawing strength from her Latin roots, she battles extraterrestrial creatures. The film seamlessly interweaves elements from punk rock to Venezuelan folk tunes and incorporates a range of scenes from confronting a sinister worm-like creature to a comical cooking sequence with her grandmother. Creating this unique short involved intricate details like designing a massive alien monster puppet by DHFX Studio, crafting hundreds of arepas, generating a plethora of special effects with slime, and much more. The ensemble cast is further bolstered by the talents of Sophia Chapdelaine, Tristan Miura, and Magda Ochoa.
Sharing his insights on “Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake,” Badillo expressed, “Imagine the exhilarating vibes of the urban teen sci-fi ‘Attack the Block’ meeting the playful satire of ‘Galaxy Quest.’ That’s the essence of the Lupe universe.” Badillo also treated MovieMaker’s audience with an exclusive first look – you can view the teaser [here].
While the independent short is slated to make its debut in film festivals come Fall, it’s not just a stand-alone project. It’s also a glimpse of what’s to come, serving as a precursor to the much-anticipated feature film, Lupe Q and the Galactic Earworms, set to roll cameras by the end of Summer.