The eight-minute short, HAMMERSMITH: Hurdle Of Dreams, will be the first submission from Chicago’s 48 Hour Film Project to screen at the Short Film Corner program of the Cannes Film Festival.
Opening with an impeccably crafted foot-chase over a tribal percussion track, Hurdle Of Dreams was shot and finished within two days by Chicago-based Kalopsia Films in association with Pink Hippo Productions.
From there, it takes a fictitious look behind the scenes of a fictitious action picture starring a fictitious leading man named Ryan Hammersmith.
The 48 Hour Film Project is a test of creativity ability, technical proficiency, and nerves that spans one weekend every year in cities around the world. Billed as “The Largest International Filmmaking Competition,” the event boasts more than 50,000 film submissions since its founding in 2001.
The Chicago component, produced by Jerry Vassilatos, has become a tradition among members of the local film community.
By winning the 2017 competition, held August 25-27 last year, Hurdle Of Dreams earned a trip to the 2018 Filmapalooza Festival in Paris, which took place last weekend.
It was judged to be among the top twelve of 4,500 films from 120 cities, which means that its next stop will be the May 8-19 Cannes Film Festival.
Besides the tight time restriction, all of the 48HFP competing filmmaker teams are bound by additional requirements that intensify the deadline. The list almost reads like an old joke: a line, a prop, a genre, and a character walk into a short film contest.
In 2017, the required elements were: “Where did you find that,” a manila envelope, an Action / Adventure or Mockumentary, and Ryan Hammersmith, pest control.
Hurdle of Dreams took it to unexpected highs and hilarious lows.
“Imagine an international spy action adventure thriller,” says Bayou Straits, the fictitious “writer, director, stuntman, star” who introduces himself in the second scene of the movie.
“Now,” he continues, “imagine that ten times better.”
This year’s Chicago 48 Hour Film Project will take place over the weekend of July 13th and follow with screenings at the Music Box Theater July 29th – 30th. The awards screening will be held on August 2nd. For more information, click here.
CREDITS
Cast
Nick Wilson — Bayou Straights / Ryan Hammersmith
Hannah Kopen — Malaya Banks / Rachel Hammersmith
Colin Seymour — Colin Rice
Mendoza — Derrick Bettis
Pam Miller — Ashley Clark
Crystal Diamante — Hair
Caitlin McDonald — Makeup
Kyle Leland — Russian Scientist
Mohamed Radwan — Associate Producer
Kyle Leland — Director
Justin Nico Flocco — Director of Photography
Eric Miller — Assistant Camera
Writers
Kyle Leland
Justin Nico Flocco
Eric Miller
Original Score
Paul Moody
Kyle Leland
Ed Bornstein — Sound
Editors
Justin Nico Flocco
Kyle Leland
Caitland McDonald — Makeup
Producers
Justin Nico Flocco
Eric Miller
Kyle Leland
Special Thanks
Tara Flocco
Patrick Daley
Angie Gaffney
Edgar Wright
Michael Bay
The Office
Adderall
Shawn Lent
Becky Zamora
Vincent Colombo
Pink Hippo Productions
To contact Reel Chicago Editor Daniel Patton, email dan@reelchicago.com.
