Give it your best shot

HYDERABAD: Thought making films was all in a day’s worth of work? Well, here’s giving the budding filmmaker in you an extra day. And a chance to prove to the world that your DSLR is worth more than just a few random snaps. This weekend eat, sleep, walk and talk yourself into the role of a cameraman, director, producer, sound mixer, screenplay artist and what not, as the world famous 48 Hour Film Project (48 HFP) visits Hyderabad for the first time in its 11-year-old journey.An apt stage for both amateur and professional, as well as the young and old creative filmmakers of the city, organisers of the festival expect a more balanced list of participants here than anywhere else in the country.  “There is a huge presence of youngsters in Hyderabad with an eye for cinema. Enough reason why we expect a more experimental filmmaking crowd, comprising people of all ages and varying experience levels,” said Yogi Chopra, India Producer, 48 HFP. And it’s precisely this excitement around experimental cinema and the whole exercise of managing one’s technical limits, resource availability and creativity within the time bound frame of a mere 48 hours that makes 48 HFP a darling among all film enthusiasts. “We have had winners who are first time movie makers, while seasoned professionals have often failed in the past years of the competition,” pointed out Preethi Gopalkrishna, who’s also the India Producer of 48 HFP. “For the first timers, it’s all about making a movie. For the regular movie makers, it’s all about tightening the script and making a movie in situations they are not accustomed to, like lack of permission to shoot in public places among others,” she added. Also with the judges interested more in creativity, content and the ability to hold the grip of the audience for a good 5-7 minutes, technical superiority takes a backseat, making it more level playing field.What is 48 HFP all about?Interested participants have to register for the event before April 5 at www.48fhp.in or www.48hourfilm.com/hyderabad . Film makers will then have to pick their genre on Friday the 6th at 7 pm from a list of 14 categories. For the more adventurous lot, there will be a wild card option wherein genres like vacation and holiday, time travel etc will be given. Additionally, the teams will be provided a prop (diary, rose etc), an individual character (security guard, government employee etc) and a dialogue (You must be Kidding! etc), all elements which have to be mandatorily incorporated into the movie, which should be submitted by Sunday evening 7 pm. Films can be made in any local or international language of preference. Annapurna International School of Film and Media (AISFM) will sponsor the first prize of `50,000 and the winning movie will compete with 100 others on the world tour for the   Best International Film prize. Every completed movie will be screened on April 14 at the St Mary’s School Auditorium.  There is no limit on age or number of members in each team. The jury here in Hyderabad will include eminent filmmakers like Sunil Kumar Reddy, Srinivas Chaturvedi and Madhu Mahankali. The New Indian Express will be the Print Media partner, Spykar Jeans the Style Partner, Taj Banjara the Hospitality Partner and Seagrams which will host the Cocktails & Starters Drop Off Party on April 8 will be the Lifestyle Partner. There is also active support by groups such as Cinema Picha and Eat Sleep Drink Movies.