In the Now Filmmaking: The 48-Hour Film Festival

Sasha Stone
Mirror film critic

   Last week, Steven Soderbergh’s indie extravaganza “Full Frontal” hit theaters to become the first Julia Roberts movie in a long time not to hit number one. Soderbergh seemed keen to return to his indie roots. Either that, or he was hoping to humiliate the A-listers who decided to participate. Drive your own car to the set, do your own makeup, yadda yadda yadda – it was ultimately a pointless experiment.
   Real guerilla filmmaking these days can be found not in theaters (well, some) but on the web. The 48 Hour Film Festival is alive and well and living on www.extremefilmmaker.com. The rules for entry include: The film must be made in 48 hours or less and is limited to 8 minutes running time, including title and credits. Oh, and no porn allowed.
   Films that are chosen for the festival are on digital video, which is also the format Soderbergh used for “Full Frontal,” but because these filmmakers are hungry and as yet undiscovered, they are trying a bit harder than Soderbergh did. Already on their third festival, founders John Parenteau, Mark Kochinski and Keith Matz pick and choose carefully, looking for “flashes of quality.” They also look for a filmmaker who’s clearly trying to accomplish something. Other than that, they say, they’re looking for hot chicks.
   The point of the festival, say its founders, is to help motivate wannabe filmmakers who sit around wishing they could be making films. Having to do it in 48 hours removes the dread, the self-doubt, the second-guessing, the perfectionism.
   With one or two exceptions, the chosen films are surprisingly good – well-written and technically accomplished. The best ones concentrate mostly on story, since without good writing there would be a whole lot of nothing going on in 8 minutes. But all of them get to the point quickly and manage to stuff in character development, suspense and intrigue.
   The selected films are available for viewing, for free, on the Extreme FilmMaker website, though a high-speed connection is needed for best quality viewing. A few stand out from the rest and seem to indicate some real up-and-coming talent.
   The first of the bunch is Craig Kuehne’s “Mood Swing,” a silent film about a man who imagines how his dates will go by what music he chooses for each one. In the end, it’s his own personal taste that makes the date go well. It’s the kind of film that makes you smile at the end because you’re invested in the story.
   Trey Stokes’ “Land of Many Uses,” has so much compacted in so short a time it’s hard to imagine it was made in less than two days. Much of its success is due to the actors, Amy Earhart and Greg Manion. The film’s tagline says it all: A girl, a guy, a dog and a ’66 Satellite.
   John Parenteau’s “Verite” is a whole lot of story in a nicely done film – it follows two hired-Joe’s who are watching the boss’s wife to see if she’s cheating on him. But the story is really about one of the men and his desire to be a filmmaker.
   The 48-Hour Film Festival is worthwhile, not only because it showcases some real talent, but because it brings filmmaking back down to a more accessible level – and gives anyone the opportunity to show his or her stuff.
   Of course, it helps if you’re a gear head and you already have Final Cut Pro, a good Mac and a decent digital video camera. But you can do pretty well with an Imac and iMovie software. The point of the festival is to do the best you can with what you’ve got, rather than waiting until you have the funds to buy the film, rent the equipment, etc.
   The festival’s founders readily admit that it couldn’t have existed five years ago – advances in technology have made it possible – high-speed connections, digital cameras, editing software. But, in the end, as always, it comes down to talent and smarts. Just because you can make a movie doesn’t mean it will be a good movie. This festival, however, proves that good movies can be made on the cheap, in two days, with nothing but a camera and an idea.
   The fourth 48-Hour Film Festival will be held on November 23. Anyone can enter and it costs nothing. If you can’t make the screening, you can always see the films online. All entries must be in by November 8. For more information, and to find out about entering, visit www.extremefilmmaker.com.