Reporter Zachary Moran Norris interviewed Francis Galuppi about the film's inspiration, filming locations, and more.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – “Last Stop in Yuma Countywhich was released earlier this month, marked Francis Galuppi's feature film debut.

According to a press release obtained by KYMA, Galuppi, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, directed the two short films.

• High Desert HellIn 2019, it won the Wes Craven Award at the Catalina Film Festival.
• Gemini Projectwon the award for “Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Short Film” at the 2020 Burbank International Film Festival.

When asked what inspired him to choose Yuma County to set the film, Galuppi said:

“I wrote the script set in a place in Palmdale, Los Angeles. So when I started writing short films, I was writing scripts set in places I was free to go to. Then when it came time to write a feature, I found a place called Four Aces in Palmdale and thought it would be a good place to shoot the movie… As the story started to come together, I had the idea of ​​Yuma, a place close to the Mexican border… It just sounded good and actually made sense.”

Galuppi said the movie wasn't filmed in Yuma County, but was shot in California, and there are Yuma County Easter eggs in the film, such as a clock showing 3:10 as a homage to the movie “10 to Yuma.”

Galuppi also spoke about the artistic inspiration behind the film, which a press release classifies as a crime thriller/Western hybrid, citing his love of film noir, the 1970s films of Sam Peckinpah and Don Siegel, and Westerns.

When asked what other research went into making “The Last Stop” feel realistic, Galuppi replied:

“I’ve been on tour most of my life, so I’ve been to Yuma and all over the country, but whenever I wrote a character, I wanted to make sure the script reached the friends I grew up with. [in states around the country]and then say something like, “Does something feel wrong?”

“Last Stop” premiered in theaters and digitally on May 10th at Harkins Theatre in Yuma. To find showtimes, go to here.