Budding filmmakers invited to enter MCCC competition

Sundance. Cannes. Blue Bell?

Montgomery County Community College’s Communicating Arts Production Group challenges you and your team of filmmakers to create a five-minute film in just five days. 

 The challenge kicks off in MCCC’s Advanced Technology Center Feb. 24 at 7 p.m., when each team will be randomly assigned a genre; the challenge gets more complicated by the assignment of a specific line of dialog, a prop and a theme that must be included in each team’s film.  By 7 p.m. March 1, the teams must wrap up writing, shooting, editing and scoring the films and deliver them to the drop-off site. The completed films will be screened March 9 at 7 p.m. in MCCC’s College Science Center Theater. The screening will be free and open to the public.

Inspired by the fictional efforts of “Be Kind, Rewind” characters (played by Jack Black and Mos Def) to cover up the fact that Black’s character erased all the VHS tapes in a video store, the second annual Sweded Film Challenge is open to filmmakers of abilities and will award the best film a top prize of $250.  The Black and Def characters explained that the videos in the store (versions of popular movies recreated on the erased tapes by the “Be Kind, Rewind” characters) had long wait times and higher rental fees because the movies were made in Sweden (they were “Sweded”). Smaller prizes will be awarded in a variety of categories.

 The rules are spelled out on the website, which also provides tips like “Do not try to make a bad movie.” And should life imitate art, the MCCC “Sweded” films should prove more endearing than the originals. To watch last year’s winning film and the other entries, go to http://www.fivedayfilmfestival.com.

So get ready to turn loose your inner Michael Gondry (“Be Kind, Rewind”), Danny Boyle (“127 Hours”) or Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”). Better not let the George Lucas wannabe near this one. Round up your cast and crew – all three of them – and start mapping out your strategies in advance of the genre assignments.

A panel of impartial film professionals and cinephiles will judge the entries, according to the film festival’s website, which also states that about 30 percent of the judging will be on technical skill, 30 percent will be on creativity and originality and 40 percent will be on how all aspects of production contribute to the finished film.

 The entry fee is $25 per team. For more information or to register your team for the competition, visit www.fivedayfilmfestival.com.