My name is Joshua Irwin, and for the past eight years, I’ve poured my heart into creating Star Trek fan films as part of the Avalon Universe. For seven years we explored the 23rd century.

A new phase of storytelling:

Last year, you helped us fund part of our shoot for our first 24th Century film “Ghost Crystal,” which took place in the early TNG Era. That film has wrapped and is now in the postproduction phase. I’m excited to take the next step in bringing new adventures to life in the 24th century with my latest project, “Phantoms.”

What's it about:

“Phantoms” tells a story that takes place ten years later in the Dominion War Era but will center on a different foe that will challenge our characters in the middle of that conflict. The plot centers on a Starfleet officer who becomes mysteriously immortal after encountering a powerful crystal tied to energy from a higher dimension of existence. When a second crystal appears, it triggers a conflict involving extra dimensional travelers, alien forces, and a dangerous figure known as “The Phantom,” who is hunting these crystals to gain reality-destroying power. The story blends space warfare, multiverse science fiction, and character drama, with themes about destiny, identity, and the burden of immortality.

(Faith Lymburner as Lt. Gwen Vanorah)

Telling 24th century stories:

After spending eight years making 23rd-century fan films, I wanted to expand the Avalon Universe concept and tell new stories in the 24th century. This project is a chance to push creative boundaries and share something fresh with the Star Trek fan community. Unlike previous films, these will be somewhat anthology-based stories, but with a common throughline.

(Marc Bell's Galaxy Class CG model. Animated by Keith Hamilton in the Sci-fi Shorts film "What's Next". We will be using the same model and animator)

What are the funds for:

This is the most important question. The funds raised will go directly toward travel costs for actors and crew, Air B&B accommodations for the crew, and food to keep everyone fueled during the shoot. That's it. So many of the amazing things you will see on screen are being done by volunteers. And that's AMAZING!

Every contribution helps us bring “Phantoms” to life and ensures we can continue delivering the high-quality fan films our supporters have come to expect. We’re moving forward with the filming of this project to keep the wheels turning while others work on postproduction on the previous project. Since this is a fan-based project, people can only devote so much time in their lives to it, something we learned in our previous work. So, we want to complete the production of these stories in the next year, so that everyone can move on with the films completed.

(Kristopher Schindler's "Cobrahead" and "Boomerang" phasers)

The best props and costumes:

With our story in the film spanning a decade, it'll be important to have just the right props and costumes for the eras. From Kristopher Schindler's "Cobrahead" and "Boomerang Phasers" to Frank Skony's hand made from scratch costumes. The volunteers on our team are working to give us the highest quality possible for fan films!

(Co-Executive Producer Jonathon Janes)

Our Team:

Our team for this project is stacked with fan film all-stars! Jonathon Janes who worked as producer on "Farragut 2024" will be organizing the project alongside myself as Executive Producer. My friend Ruth McCartney will be on top of continuity. Michele Reynolds will helm the makeup department as she has on past films. Frank Skony, who created our costumes for "Ghost Crystal" will be creating some Dominion War era costumes from scratch. Earl Hale will lead the sound department as he has on many past films including "Interlude"

Keith Hamilton will return as visual fx supervisor, his past credits include "Farragut 2024" and a Best VFX win in the 2025 Fan Film Showrunner Awards for "La Morte de la Guerre".

DAVE MORETTI: AND A VERY SPECIAL NEW SET

Dave Moretti who was the driving force behind our Narendra Class bridge conversion for "Ghost Crystal" will be assisting with the construction of a brand-new physical Galaxy Class bridge set. This will give actors the ability to physically interact with the set. A true first for Star Trek Fan Films!

(Dave Moretti's Set Sketchup!)

(Ghost Crystal Narendra Class bridge by Dave Moretti)

Going strong for 8 years!

For eight years, our fans have stood by us, helping us win numerous awards and making it possible to tell these stories. Our passion hasn’t changed, and while we’re venturing into new territory, we’re committed to telling these stories in the classic way our fans love. Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping us make “Phantoms” a reality.