Green on the screen
Fast filmmaking and eco activism join forces for 48 Go Green
The 48 Hour Film Project, the world's largest timed filmmaking competition, is bringing its eco-minded kindred spirit, 48 Go Green, to Houston. The project kicks off Friday and grants participants a mere two days to create an inspired movie embedded with environmental ideals.
The open-call project will draw a mix of local seasoned environmental activists and novice and professional filmmakers to the SWAMP (Southwest Alternate Media Project) headquarters on Friday, at which point the 13 registered teams will be assigned specific cinematic elements and a topic, such as drinkable water, the forest, the next generation and the sea and energy, that must be integrated into a four to six minute film. They'll then scramble to write, shoot and edit their eco-themed film.
"One of the things 48 in general does is support a local filmmaking community and encourage that community to grow," Laura Schlecht, Houston producer of The 48 Hour Film Project, tells CultureMap. "It's just to get out there and do something," she says. "That's kind of the sentiment behind all of this."
"The Go Green version of 48 Hour Film Project started in Washington D.C.," Schlecht says. "Since then, it's just blossomed across the U.S."
Beyond Houston and the nation's capital, 48 Go Green festivals have sprouted in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Portland and Boston.
The contest's winner will be showcased in the Short Film Corner of the Cannes International Film Festival. Cash prizes include $5,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place and $1,000 for third place. Local eco-minded cinephiles can get a piece of the action at two premiere screenings ( 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) on Wednesday night at Talento Bilingüe de Houston.
