12 Films x 48 Hours in One Afternoon

For me, part of the appeal of the 48 Hour Film Project is how very local it is. Certainly I appreciate getting a reading on the state of local film making, but honestly it's a kick to see short after short where I recognize buildings, neighborhoods and people. RVA is one of 80 cities that participate in the 48HFP and its unique look makes it a prime background for any kind of film.

Well I had to get over that at today's screening. Of the 12 film shorts shown at the 1:30 screening, not one featured a recognizable city location. This is the fourth year for the project in Richmond and my fourth year attending; it was the first year I didn't see the Richmond I know anywhere.

There were no alleys and no VCU. No Church Hill, Jackson Ward or Fan. No high-ceilinged city apartments. No familiar businesses or streets. No James River. Instead what I saw were a lot of suburban neighborhoods and houses. Williamsburg was well represented. The films could have been shot anywhere, which was very different from past years.

On the other hand, the audience was by the far the most diverse I've ever seen at these screenings, both in age, ethnicity and the surprising number of children there. I also heard many people walking into the Byrd today saying that it was their first time inside the vintage movie palace. So all that was good.

I know from friends who've done the 48HFP in the past that it's grueling to make a film in that short window of time. Perhaps some of the past attendees were unwilling to subject themselves to that torment yet again. I did hear one guy say that it was his third time entering and second time finishing, a fate that probably meets at least a few filmmakers every go-round. The deadline is firm.

When organizer Ellie St. John kicked things off, she noted the number of children and reminded the audience that this is an independent film festival, so nothing is censored or rated. Even more important, she went on to say that that's the way they like it, so some material wouldn't be appropriate for young ears. And it wasn't.

One of the funniest shorts involved a fetishist who wanted to plan a party for his partner, a horse. His, er, outfit involved a strategically-placed furry creature (instead of a fig leaf) which he stroked throughout. Not kiddie stuff, but hilarious.

So all in all, it was an interesting afternoon of films that ran the gamut from practically professional to less so (in one, the credit read "Directed and edited (poorly) by..."). I just wasn't expecting an afternoon in suburbia, but such seems to be the evolution of the festival here, at least in the films I saw. There was a second screening for the rest of the entries.

What matters is that one film will go to the national level to compete with the top films from the other 79 cities. I, for one, hope the winner will have at least some recognizable Richmond elements in it.

It's not about showing off, but this is a city with a lot of visual personality. I'd like to see it show up in our entry to the big time.

RVA represents, so to speak.