48-Hour Film Project Hits Main Street

This past Saturday, from 8 a.m., to almost 8 p.m, Main Street was buzzing with filmmakers from the Atlanta 48-Hour Film Project. 

Filmmakers Jayson Palmer and Chris Ethridge brought a crew of 20 (give or take) actors, screenwriters, and cameramen, to work on their entry in this annual contest. Main Street and its shops will be the backdrop for the short movie they completed for this amazing event. Antiques In Old Town  is featured in one of the major scenes.

Just what is the 48-Hour Film Project? It is a sleepless weekend in which filmmakers make a movie. They write, shoot, edit and score it, in just 48 hours.  No sleep, no rest, just a crazy wild time of creating something unique to enter into the contest! It begins at 7 p.m. on Friday night and ends at 7 p.m. on Sunday night.

All entries have to be received by 7:30 Sunday evening to be included in the contest. The finished film must be 4 minutes to 7 minutes in duration—not including credits. 

Last Friday night, approximately 55 groups received the information needed to begin. The entries receive a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre. All have to be included in the movie — 48 hours later, the movie has to be complete and turned in by the deadline set for the competition. The following week it is shown at a local theater. 

The Atlanta 48-Hour Film Project will show the entries on June 17 and 18 at the historic Plaza Theater, located at 1049 Ponce De Leon Ave, Atlanta, Georgia, 30306. Tickets are available for purchase online. 

In 2010, nearly 40,000 filmmakers made 3,000 films covering 80 cities on five continents. This year the event is even larger with filmmakers around the world taking the challenge. The prizes range from local and international awards to the screening of the winning film at the Cannes Film Festival. 

The mission of the challenge is to get filmmakers, and would-be filmmakers, to make films. The tight time frame for the project gets everyone into action, instead of just talking about ideas, they have to pull together and get it done. Teamwork and creativity are in the spotlight for the weekend. 

The competition began in May 2001. Mark Ruppert, and his filmmaking partner, Liz Langston, called on several other DC filmmakers to form teams and join in a competition to see if a good film could be made in only 48 hours. The answer was a huge “yes”! 

Old Town Lilburn is featured in the short film, "The Find."

Can't make it to the Plaza?

Jayson and Chris will be screening the film at the Old Town Lilburn Center For The Arts, an extension of , on Main Street later this summer.

Thanks to Lilburn's own Richard Ferris for getting up at early and arriving on the scene at 8 AM to photograph the excitement on Main Street to share with Patch readers.

You can view more of Richard's photographs at The Little Shop Of Arts And Antiques, 96 Main Street, as his exhibit and sale continues through the end of June. Call the shop for information at 404-326-7306.