Indie Space Saga "Orion" Probes Humanity's Mysteries

On October 25th, 2025, the indie space saga "Orion" will have its world premiere at the FilmQuest festival in Provo, Utah. The film, directed by Jaco Bouwer, examines human nature through a NASA investigation into a mysterious astronaut crash.

The story centers around Jim, a NASA bigwig played by Andrew McCarthy, who is assigned to help Apollo (Drew Van Acker), an astronaut suffering from memory loss, uncover what happened to cause his ship to crash and leave the rest of the crew dead. Their back-and-forth dialogue and the gradual unfolding of twists and discoveries make up the core of the film.

Bouwer and his team worked to make the largely two-character story feel expansive, using varied camera techniques and limited but impactful glimpses of the vastness of space. The director aimed to "mislead the audience in subtle ways" through the performances of his lead actors, who he credits as being crucial to the success of the film's taut, emotional narrative.

While "Orion" is set against the backdrop of space exploration, Bouwer says the film's true focus is on the examination of human nature in a world where "we don't have an absolute truth anymore." The director's blend of science fiction and grounded emotional storytelling is poised to captivate audiences when the film premieres next month.