In 2001, a group of D.C. filmmakers conducted a casual artistic experiment: randomly select a genre, a prop, a line of dialogue, and a central character, and attempt to shoot and edit a finished short film in a weekend. Two days and one film noir-inspired private eye flick later, the 48 Hour Film Project was born. “We had no idea if you could even make a film in 48 hours—and, if so, whether anyone could stand to watch it,” says Mark Ruppert, co-founder and Executive Producer of the 48 Hour Film Project. Within a few months, tales of the experiment’s success spread throughout the region’s film community. Now in its eighth year, the 48 Hour Film Project covers nearly 80 cities and a record 35,000 filmmakers worldwide.
Despite stops in more prominent filmmaking hubs like Los Angeles, New York City, and London, the 48 Hour Film Project Tour's most popular site is the District, with more than 100 official entries this year. “[The project] has strong roots in D.C.,” Ruppert explains. “Most people don’t realize how large of a filmmaking community we have here.”
This year's D.C. project began at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 1, when Ruppert announced the submission requirements. By rule, every entry had to incorporate a predetermined character (a coach named Eve or Ivan Pagoda), prop (an ID card), and line of dialogue ("We're hoping things will change."). A representative from each team then randomly selected the genre for their film, with the option to invoke one “wild card” to replace an especially unfortunate style (say, musical). By 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, the team had to write, shoot, edit, and deliver an original four-to-seven-minute film. Beyond the required elements, all subjects, images, and language were fair game.
We know what some of you are thinking: a rigidly structured, timed amateur filmmaking competition? Sounds like fertile grounds for a shitstorm of self-indulgent, unwatchable movies. Well, that’s only partially accurate. In all sincerity, there are glimpses of true mastery of the craft in this year’s batch—enough for any D.C. native to be genuinely proud of our city’s understated cinematic prowess. To help save your eyes from, say, a five-minute mockumentary of an ambiguously gay pair of aliens sent to earth to harvest organs (a real submission this year), The AFI Silver Theater will be screening its “Best Of D.C.” collection this Thursday, May 21, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
The city’s Best Film team will go on to compete for top honors at Filmapalooza 2010 at the National Association Of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas. Oh, and a handful of the year’s best films will be screened at the Short Film Corner of the MOTHERFUCKING CANNES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. So yeah, no big deal.
The A.V. Club sifted through the rubbish ahead of time and picked out a few films to look out for at the Best Of D.C. screening:
“Rakirovka” (Foreign Film), WIT Films
Working with arguably the toughest pull in the genre pool, WIT turned in the most compelling and aesthetically beautiful piece in the group. “Rakirovka” is an intense abstract depiction of one Russian man’s chess match with his Valkyrie-inspired nemesis. In lieu of a steady narrative (the director intelligently opted to omit the ubiquitous Russian narrator from the subtitles), captivating imagery drives the film, as the camera weaves in and out of each player’s psyche.
“The Imperial” (Detective/Cop), Dead City Films
Probably the greatest achievement in the group for both cinematography and score, “The Imperial” documents the final moments of an FBI agent’s odyssey to bring a fugitive couple to justice. Though the film’s dialogue is scarce and, for the most part, uninspired, it’s rarely missed. Instead of rambling explanations of the criminal’s backstory, the Dead City Team builds suspense through masterful camera work and a swirling, impressively complex soundtrack.
“Stonking” (Mockumentary), The Quest
After watching “Stonking,” one has to wonder whether The Quest production team had already committed to a mockumentary before pulling the genre on Friday night—the writing and casting are simply too polished to be purely off-the-cuff. Without a doubt the funniest entry in this year’s competition, “Stonking” documents the shooting of a 30-second TV spot for a bumbling candidate for Ward 6 ANC Commissioner, Randall Stoneking. (Yes, the title’s spelling error is intentional.) Taking noticeable stylistic pages out of The Office’s book, the film features a series of mock interviews with local small-timers, each suffering from a familiar delusional sense of self-importance. Between satirical stabs at the film’s central figure and his incompetent campaign staff, the script weaves in a subtle tone of self-deprecation through the equally inane, bush-league film crew. “Stonking” also gets a shout-out for the most creative use of a prop, working in a shot of a dangling ID card effectively framed by a certificate reading “Best Use of Prop—48 Hour Film Project.” Well played.
“He Drove” (Comedy), Dobler’s Pen
In short, “He Drove” is the story of a hangover. An attractive woman wakes up in a strange man’s bed and gradually begins piecing together the previous night’s tequila-induced sexual exploits, while her host hides in the shower, frantically washing off whatever unholy STDs he may have acquired overnight. Yadda, yadda, yadda—we’ve all been there. Though the story isn’t exactly revolutionary for a comedy, the team’s approach to telling it is both noteworthy and wildly entertaining. Throughout the film, the characters are accompanied by a crowd that personifies their multi-faceted psyches: the hyper-critical mother figure, the overly dramatic prom queen, the courteous gentleman, and the horny frat boy. The result is a comedic depiction of the conflicting inner voices working behind the scenes of each awkward conversation, making the already uncomfortable situation even more excruciating. “He Drove” also takes the prize for the most inconspicuous use of both the required line and character—if you’re not actively searching, you’re likely to miss them both.
“Gwendolyn Dangerous And The Great Space Rescue” (Film de Femme), Integral Arts
If it wasn’t for the competition’s time restraints, the intentionally campy “Gwendolyn Dangerous” would likely be a forgettable entry. The titular heroine sneaks aboard the spaceship of Hassan The Heinous (played by Wyatt Cenac look-alike Theodore M. Snead) to save her sister from a lifetime of sex slavery, only to find out that she has come down with a stiff case of Stockholm Syndrome. Nothing about the film is remarkable, but the primary cast turns in a fine comedic performance, and the script effectively embraces and satirizes the hokiness of a CGI-saturated SciFi channel hero flick. The production team’s unmatched use of 3D modeling and special effects is also worth noting, especially considering that it was patched together in just two days. Now there are certainly better films to come out of this year’s 48 Hour Film Project, but few, if any, leave the audience with such a feeling of innocent, uncomplicated enjoyment.
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