48 Hour Flick Fest fetes its winners
By Paul Breschuk
Lance Writer
November 19, 2008
On the night of Oct. 24, eager participants of the 48 Hour Flick Fest gathered in a downtown bar to receive their instructions. At this meeting, they were given a theme (border), prop (duct tape), and line of dialogue (“nothing is shocking to me”) to be included somewhere in their films. Although such devices may seem arbitrary, or restrictive, they provide assurances that each submission had been filmed within the 48 hour time period.
With these specific guidelines, the filmmakers, in a dispersal of creativity, departed into the night. In the hours that followed, Windsor would be terrorized by cinematic guerilla warfare included speeding cars, bizarre costumes, impromptu movie sets, and sleep-deprived film crews.
What festival organizers were presented with, two days later, was cause for delight, surprise, intrigue, and horror.
Finally, after careful deliberation, the panel of judges are ready to dole out the awards.
Best Screenplay: “The Pitch” (Directed by Aaron Hucker)
Up-tempo and witty, this entry from Edeus Productions presents a brainstorming session between filmmakers. Naturally, the audience is allowed to see the ideas come to life as they’re being described. Taking turns, each character proposes their idea (a private investigator sasquatch, a donut stealing thief, and a zombie vegetarian) until they become merged into one absurd pitch. The film’s quick turns and fresh dialogue helped in securing this award.
Best Cinematography, Best Editing: “Coaxial Diet” (Directed by Pat Craven)
The film, with its blood, darkness, and static, presents an intensely claustrophobic experience. The narrative centres around a man who goes from consuming television to being consumed by it. In ways, “Coaxial Diet” is the most visual of the finalists. It is also the most abstract. An extremely atmospheric film with quick editing, it holds viewers in a world where bad things happen under shadows and flickering lights.
Best Acting, Best Music: “Inside the Box” (Directed by Brian Murtagh)
Extremely industrious, Murtagh plays director, director of photography, editor, and award-winning actor. His talented performance as a timid, house-stricken man matched that of Marnie Kelly who played the friendly, inviting neighbour. Without a doubt, their acting was the most natural and engaging of the festival. In addition to fine acting was the soundtrack composed by John Martens. His music, a light, wilting piano motif, offered moments of colour to the cold monotony of suburban life.
Best Film: “The Hardships of Heroism” (Directed by Sean McLeod)
Winning the $1,000 cash prize is Group Stupendor, who put together a hilarious expose charting the ugly realities of super-heroism. Stupendor, the star of the mockumentary, talks of his restrictive mask and his bloody, ripped cape. He also mentions that there is a bad side to having superpowers which is evidenced by his sad, overzealous attempt to play basketball. By the end, he is seen spiraling into a pitiful, drunk existence before returning to fame in a final blaze of glory. “The Hardships of Heroism” combined high production value, great acting, and an ingenious story to win the festival’s Best Film Award.
The other entries were also deserving of praise, as Festival Coordinator Tim Swaddling describes the rising quality of films: “I was very impressed with the festival’s submissions. They had an overall higher production value standard, due in part to the filmmakers having more time to prepare. A lot of people seemed more at ease with the process as they knew what to expect this time around.”
Swaddling is also happy to announce that the festival will return next year, giving the Windsor film scene another 48 hours of mayhem.
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