George Lucas in Love is an inependent short film that started attracting notice in June 1999 when it was passed around Hollywood offices as a filmmaker's "calling card". Many wrongly think it was a student film, but its makers had been out of film school for a few years when it was shot. It is an homage and spoof of both Star Wars and Shakespeare in Love. The film was directed by Joe Nussbaum, who financed the film with money his grandparents left him. Nussbaum recruited several fellow University of Southern California graduates to help him with his movie. The producer, casting director, musical composer, executive producer, and many actors are all alumni.