Growing up, Kevin Smith was a very important figure in my development as a film lover. His debut, Clerks, was one of the first films I had ever seen that seemed to say that just about anyone could make a film, no matter how limited their resources or knowledge of film-making. For myself and many others, Smith's lack of pretensions, both in his art and in his persona, made him one of the most accessible figures in modern film-making. There was, and remains, something incredibly inspiring about his story, about the idea that a convenience store clerk from New Jersey can make a film that speaks to a large number of people, then turn that goodwill into a career doing what he loves: making movies.