In the years bereft of any truly stand-out epics, we are forced to look harder and harder for the smaller gems-in-the-rough. First World is just such a gem. Somewhere between Close Encounters and Stargate, First World doesn't overwhelm you, it sort of sneaks up on you. I screened it first at ApolloCon 2007 (and we'll be showing it again this year), and enjoyed it very much, as did our audience. It's not an action-packed laser-fest, it's a thought-provoking what-if in an alternate universe. If you're looking for oozing aliens and screaming space battles, this is not what you want. If, on the other hand, you want to think about "what's out there" (and just how close "out there" might really be" catch a screening of First World.