LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) – Long before he became a successful independent filmmaker, Kevin Smith (”Clerks,” “Chasing Amy,” “Dogma” ) was a kid in love with “Star Wars” (as the frequent “SW” references in his films make abundantly clear).

Over the years, his admiration for the original trilogy has not waned, but the release of “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” saw him swearing off “being a gushy, avid fanboy. [The first three] are movies I really dug when I was growing up and kind of held over until adulthood.”

“But the new trilogy — which I’ve seen the first one, and am game to see the second one, very anticipatory — that’s not my generation. It’s the next generation. That’s for kids, primarily, just as the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy was for kids when I was a kid.”

“So, swear off ‘Star Wars’? No. But I can’t really say that I’m lying awake in bed at night. There’s a line already in front of Grauman’s [Chinese Theater, in Hollywood] — I honestly don’t know if there’s much I would wait on line for, unless it’s the cure for death. ‘Wait on line, and we will cure you of that pesky death.’”

“But I’m always happy to see another ‘Star Wars’ flick. This one certainly seems much cooler than the last one.”

In anticipation of May 16 release of “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones,” Smith is host of “The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards,” airing Sunday, May 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Sci Fi Channel.

“It’s essentially a special made up of fan-made short films,” Smith says. “There was a contest sponsored by Lucasfilm and Atom Films.com, in which a bunch of fans sent in their spoofs, parodies or homages of ‘Star Wars.’” “I guess Lucasfilm and Atom Films pawed through the entries and came up with some winners. So I’m the guy that introduces the nominees and the winners.” Categories include “The Young Jedi Awards” (best film by an under-18 director); “The Audience Award” (as voted on by on-line viewers at www.starwars.atomfilms.com); “Best Animation” and “Best Documentary or Mockumentary.” There’s also a segment on “Pioneering Fan Films,” a montage of clips from such films as “George Lucas in Love,” “Hardware Wars” and “Geek Wars.”

The creator of “Star Wars,” George Lucas — who directed and co-wrote “Attack of the Clones” — makes an appearance to announce the film worthy of the highest honor, the “George Lucas Selects” award. As might be expected, clips from “Clones” are also included.

As a fan, Smith is happy to see Lucas and company embracing the creative efforts of other fans. “It’s always befuddling to me when I see George Lucas in the press going, ‘I don’t get it. I don’t get all these people who love the movies.’ It’s like, ‘How can you not get it, man?’ If he got down there with the great unwashed, he’d see why it means so much to them and makes such a difference in their lives.”

“I get why people like what I do. They identify with it; they see themselves in it. I’m sure you can plead the same case for a 35-year-old guy who lives by the code of the Jedi, but that’s a whole different thing. There may not be that identification factor between the fan base and ‘Star Wars,’ but it means something to them. It’s their mythology.”