For the 11th year, the 48 Hour Film Project returns to Chicago starting the week of July 27 as filmmakers battle it out to complete an entire short film within a 48 hour period.
Chicago is one of 100 international cities to participate and, sadly, no Chicago film has made it to the following year’s Cannes International Film Festival which screens the work of the top 13 winners.
Forty teams so far have signed up to participate and teams have until the July 26 deadline to get in the game, says J. Trevi Albin, executive producer of Chicago’s Project; coproducer is Amanda Peters, both Four Productions, a commercial production company.
Filmmakers will receive a registration packet and a character, prop, line of dialogue to include in their entry. They will have only two days in which to submit the completed five minute film.
“The 48HFP has always been a labor of love to me that I liken to boot camp,” says Albin. “We are getting more mainstream filmmakers involved, who want to pit their egos against one another for bragging rights.”
Chicago registered teams to date are:
812 Productions, Michael Cabrera; Andrew Ryann Productions, Alex Brown; Back 40 Productions, Mitch Apley; Carry-Out Productions, Joshua Carlascio; Catington Station, Dave Harding; Cephaloprod Films, Amanda Holland; Champagne Jelly, Chase Pozan; Daydream Team, Abhishek Pillai; Director’s Cut, Dennis Latimer; Eye Poppy Films, David Hudson; Fair Enough Films, Nathan Fisher-Koeln; Figments of Imagination, Michael Palmaira; Flashlight Pictures, William Ptacek; Garage Pictures, Irwin Dammers, Group Mind Films, Jason Beaumont; JMY Productions, Matthew Scott; Kick A Rock, Sergio Torres; Kids With No Money, Eric Galicia; Lost Shoestring, Rytis Kavaliauskas; Lovely Surreal, Renato Velarde; Lowcarbcomedy, Zoran Gvojic; Nevaeh Film Productions, Benjamin Radut; Nicholas Wagner, Nicholas Wagner; Paved Wave Productions, Chris Jarvis; Rascals & Rogues, Ritch Wedekin; S’Mores Production, Alex Srednoselac; Scout Stories, Steve Douglass; Shot Time Productions Inc., James Boratyn; Situational Irony, Joseph Conway; Special Moose Effects, Patrick Holland; Tall Tale Productions, Mike Eisenberg; TeaTime Pictures, Tim Troemner; The Crew, Brittany Hubbard; The Red Snack, Michael Gabriele and Visual Disturbance Productions, Michael Liacone, with more to come.
Competition open to a broad range of filmmakers
You don’t have to be an established player in the field to enter the 48HFP, says Albin. “It’s also rooted in those coming up in the industry so it speaks to a broad range of the filmmaking community in Chicago.”
Events kick off July 27 at Firehouse Studios, 1545 W. Rosemont, July 27 when all participating teams receive their official registration packs. They have until July 29 at 7:30 p.m. to submit their finished films complete with all necessary documentation, also at Firehouse Studios.
Public screenings take place over three nights from July 31- Aug. 2 at a venue to be announced and the Best Of Award Show will be awarded prizes and accolades at a place and date to be determined.
The top film from Chicago will compete for one of the spots available for the 2013 Cannes International Film Festival.
Julian Grant is an acclaimed indie cinema filmmaker and a Columbia College professor. His latest film is award-winning “Fallen Away.” Email news of your project to juliangrantproductions@gmail.com.
