The night The Force Awakens premiered in Hollywood, J.D. Dillard finished his first movie, Sleight. Those two events may sound unrelated, but not for Dillard. Without seeing the seventh Star Wars movie get made, Dillard wouldn’t have been inspired to make his acclaimed film.
Source: io9 – How Sleight’s J.D. Dillard Parleyed Hanging Out on The Force Awakens Set Into His Directorial Debut