Longtime commercial director Ryan Ebner–whose credits span brands such as Ford, Secret (the Cannes Silver Lion-winning “Meanomorphosis”), Slim Jim, Sour Patch Kids, AT&T, Reebok, Snickers and Fox Sports–has diversified with this project, The Light Side, which is his first non-branded short film.
The Light Side debuted at the Tribeca We Are One Global Film Festival, a digital showcase co-curated by 21 prolific fests from 35 countries. The We Are One Global Festival wrapped last month and The Light Side was one of five narrative shorts picked to represent Tribeca 2020, and wound up a We Are One favorite.
The Light Side tells the story of an aging Sith lord who finds himself living in the Bronx and discovering humility through a series of experiences. Ebner’s inspiration for the film came while rehabbing a shoulder injury at his physical therapist’s office that looked over at a fencing studio in Midtown. He says the ”Sith’s character is all about checking his ego and accepting humility. He used to be someone important, someone big. But now he’s fallen from power and is facing his sordid past. That’s just life. It happens to all of us in various ways: Careers, relationships, family dynamics, etc.” The story is ultimately sweet, with comedy lightly sprinkled in along the way.
Ebner is an alum of SHOOT’s 2008 New Directors Showcase.
