“Return of the Cache Napper Trailer” ZippyZipperZoo (USA)

──What inspired you to create this film for GIFF 2025?I had actually planned a similar film for GIFF 2023 after watching "The Batman" and thinking it would be funny to do a dark and gritty Geocaching story, but ran out of time to actually create it that year. Over the following two years, that concept developed, keeping the detective aspects and morphing into a more Film Noir style project, because who (in film) solves puzzles better than a detective? I always love to take a concept and think of a logical but unexpected direction to take it. I also enjoy taking silly concepts and playing them completely seriously; I personally find a good balance of comedy and sincerity in creating things in that style.

──How many people worked on your film, and how long did the production take?We had five people on this project. I did all the pre-production and post-production, and my actors all doubled as production crew when they weren't on camera! Not including the aforementioned two years I spent thinking of creating this, I spent around 2 days drawing up story boards and planning my shot list, we did all the filming on a single day (about 12 hours), and then I spent around 2 weeks editing it!

──What was the most memorable or challenging part of making your film?The most challenging part was filming at night. I have made many films and videos in my life, and lighting has always been my greatest opportunity for growth, and night time is one of the trickier things to light properly. Doing a noir-style film meant the lighting was really important, so I did my best to play with the shadows and darkness on screen just as much as I did with the light. Although it is not perfect, I am very proud of the progress I have made as a filmmaker, and will remember what I learned from this production!

──Is there a moment in your film that you hope geocachers around the world will notice or appreciate?

No specific moment, but I hope everyone who watched appreciates the distinct tone we tried to convey and inspires someone else to think outside the box of what a geocaching story can be!

──Please share a message for geocachers in Japan.

Thank you so much for being a part of this community! It is incredible to think how wide reaching the Geocaching community is, and to think that our film has been seen by people all over the world is just incredible. Thank you so so much, keep being amazing!出演：ZippyZipperZoo、tonitta2199、Jin Kakino