Orlando 48 Hour Film Project 2019

Annual contest set for August at Valencia

From The Orlando Weekly, July 29, 2019

The 48 Hour Film Project, the world’s oldest and largest timed moviemaking competition, will return to Orlando on August 16-18, with screenings August 23-24 at Valencia Community College East Campus.

The contest invites participants to write, shoot, edit and submit a film from 4 to 7 minutes in length in just two days. To prevent teams from working outside the time limitations, films must include a prop, line of dialogue and character name and trait – all of which are revealed seconds before the contest starts. And participants are given a choice of just two genres. Teams can secure equipment, locations, crew and actors in advance, but no one is allowed to receive compensation.

The winning films will be screened September 6 at a yet-to-be-announced location. Awards will be presented in several categories, and the overall winning film will compete against nearly 120 other city winners from around the world at Filmapalooza in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in March 2020. (Orlando hosted Filmapalooza earlier this year.) Then the best films from Filmapalooza will be shown at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival.)

Local filmmakers Christina Carmona and Fernando Roman are the new Orlando producers.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to make the 48 Hour Film Project the best it can be while also showcasing what makes Orlando great by partnering with local sponsors,” says Carmona. “This city has a lot to offer, and I think the 48 Hour Film Project is a great way to not only highlight some of Orlando’s hottest spots, but the outstanding amount of talent it has. We really want Orlando to shine.”

What does she suggest for those new to the competition?

“My advice for filmmakers registered and those thinking about registering is to go into this competition with an open mind. Plan, but not too much. You never know what genre you’re going to pull, so you may have to take yourself out of your comfort zone, and that’s OK. You just have to be ready for anything.”

Roman stresses that professional equipment is not as important as one might think.

“You don’t need fancy gear, millions of dollars or two years to tell a good story. Sometimes all it takes is a group of like-minded individuals and 48 hours,” he says. “Be flexible! That is the key to a successful 48 Hour Film Project. Not everything is going to go according to plan. So always have backup plans and be ready to improvise.”

Despite their short time in the job, Carmona and Roman are enthusiastic about the Orlando competition’s future.

“What I’m looking forward to as one of the new city producers is taking the 48 to a new level,” Roman says. “We’re very limited with the amount of time we had to put together this year’s competition, since we stepped into the role literally a month and half before the event is set to happen. So we have worked hard to just get this year’s event off the ground, and so far we are very pleased with what we have accomplished on such short notice. But we are really wanting to get the city of Orlando behind this event and grow our community involvement. We want the 48 Hour Film Project Orlando to be a staple here in our city.”

The team entry fee is $168 before August 6 and $188 after that. For more information, visit https://www.48hourfilm.com/orlando-fl.

© 2019 Orlando Weekly / MeierMovies, LLC