The 48 Hour Film Project creations hit Village 8 Theaters last Wednesday and Thursday, overwhelming the theater with visitors.
The three groups of screenings were shown in two theaters, and they displayed the work of close to 33 teams who had worked tirelessly to complete their films in just 48 hours. The quality of the films ranged from amateur homemade films to full on cinematic productions.
Some films clearly stood out as visually stunning like "The Paper Tiger" by Team Glass Label, "Death's Apprentice" by Team Team!, and "Restless" by Hiss & Vinegar. Others stood out for their clever writing like "Bodies in Motion" by Fools & Films, "A Cry for Help" by Boom Roasted, and "Cold Cut Reality" by Weekend Chocolate Warriors. I was really impressed with how well Weekend Chocolate Warriors nailed their genre: mystery. I think most would have misinterpreted the genre and taken it in a more violent or dramatic direction.
Even with the time limitation, some of the films displayed computer generated visual effects like "I am the Good Guy" by Word of Mouth. Many of the films had impressive drawings and illustrations, because the filmmakers had to include the character "Chris or Christy Barlow, an illustrator" as part of the contest requirements. "Drawn In" by Fresh Pot Productions and "Literally" by Legacy used the character creatively, giving the illustrators control over reality or an imaginary world with their illustrations.
Some of the films had me laughing so hard that I had tears in my eyes. Someone on the team called "Amy Wants to Name Everything Sharkbite Productions" had a stroke of genius when deciding how to incorporate the required prop, a keyring. The lead character is a scientist driven mad in his quest to create something to hold your pocket full of keys. The film "Chris/Christy" by The Alley Theater also had a clever use of the prop and had me laughing hysterically at their crazy antics with a television show guest led to the wrong live studio in a case of mistaken identity.
One film in particular caught me off gaurd: "How do I love thee?" by River City Pizza Party. While the production values of this film were not as strong as others, the story was unassuming and unique, and I really enjoyed that. It left my mind a little blown at the end, and I really hope it ends up on Youtube. It was strangely endearing.
It made me sad that some of the films were disqualified for being late or missing a required element. "Disarmed" by Tofu Productions was hilarious. It followed a young man's difficulties with a ridiculous prosthetic. In my opinion, they had the best use of the required line "It won't happen again, I promise." It was flippantly thrown out a car window by the girl who had driven by and caused the loss of his limb. The fact that she yelled it after she ran over his leg, removing his second limb in the short film, made it hilarious.
You can see the best of the best at the awards ceremony and screening on August 10 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance on the Village 8 web site. Village 8 Theaters is located at 4014 Dutchman's Lane.
Photographs: Top: Members of the team Glass Label pose together. (From Left to Right: Clay Cook, Bethany Hood, John Wells, Tara Wells, Jordan Pantoja, Antonio Pantoja) Next: Francis Whitaker gave a notable performance in the film "Reflections" by Monkey's Paw Films, Bottom (From left to Right): Filmmaker William Wallace (team Hiss and Vinegar) and actor Joshua Loren (team Amy Wants To Name Everything Sharkbite) talk after screenings.
