A whirlwind weekend of filmmaking is in store for participants in Missouri Western State University’s second annual Above the Line 48-Hour Film Challenge. Missouri Western students, area high school students and community members are invited to create short films Feb. 28 through March 2, with a red-carpet premiere of all completed films Friday, March 7 at the newly renovated Paradox Theatre in downtown St. Joseph. All community members are eligible to put together a team to participate in the competition and they do not have to be affiliated with Missouri Western. Teams must consist of a minimum of three individuals with one designated as the leader.
“The 48-Hour Film Challenge is designed to energize and challenge filmmakers, and our inaugural event last year certainly demonstrated that with some outstanding short films,” said Dallas Henry, project director and assistant professor of theatre and cinema. “I’m excited to see what this year’s competition will bring.”
Filmmakers will gather at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 in the Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall. Teams will randomly draw a genre for their film, and organizers will announce a prop, line of dialogue and character that must appear in all films. All creativity – writing, shooting, editing and adding a musical soundtrack – must occur within the 48-hour window beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 and ending at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 2.
Teams must register by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27. Registration packets are available at www.missouriwestern.edu/48hour.
The red carpet premiere and awards ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, March 7 at the Paradox Theatre, 107 S. 6th Street in downtown St. Joseph. This event is free and open to the public. A panel of industry professionals from across the country will award prizes and trophies to the top two teams. There will also be an audience choice award.
For more information, contact Henry at 816-271-4442 or dhenry2@missouriwestern.edu.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.