On Friday, June 21, the 48-Hour Film Project (48HFP) in Albuquerque held its 2024 “best of” screening and awards ceremony.
During the opening ceremony of the 48HFP, participants are each given a random movie genre and a required prop. Then, the 48-hour clock starts, during which the filmmakers write, film, edit and musically score their films for submission.
The top 12 films submitted are shown at the “best of” event for the season’s judges and an audience to watch. This year, competitors made 27 films total.
Filmmakers this year were asked to incorporate a character named Sean or Sara Chavez who works as a chile farmer, a prop guitar and the line “I haven’t slept for days,” into their creations, according to the project’s website.
Featured films included “The Five Stages,” produced by New Wave Films, which tells the story of a girl who has the chance to save her sister from passing away in a car accident, and ultimately learns to treasure every moment she has with her.
“Amygdala,” which won first place at the event, depicted a dystopian society where people fight to avoid succumbing to timers implanted in their arms. “Amygdala” will be submitted to 48HFP’s national Filmapalooza 2025 in Seattle, according to Jeanette Ferri, assistant city producer for the Albuquerque 48HFP. It could advance to the Cannes Film Festival if it wins a high award at Filmapalooza, Ferri said.
Films also had a chance to win in categories such as “best use of genre,” “best cinematography” and “audience favorite.”
“This project represents an opportunity for anyone who wants to make a movie or loves the art of filmmaking to sharpen their skills on a platform with a tangible project, where they can come together as a community and support one another,” Ferri said.
Ferri’s favorite part of the event is seeing people get recognition for what they love to do, she said.
“When people are proud of what they do, and you can offer them an opportunity to share their passions, it’s a beautiful sight,” Ferri said.
Charlie McGuire, who played Lawrence Foster in “Leave this Town” by production team Fool’s Gravity, said his favorite part of the process was the feeling of immersion in filmmaking that comes with creating a film in two days.
“I did writing for a 48HFP last year, and this was my first season acting in a film. The pressure of the time constraint creates the perfect environment where with the right energy, you can create beautiful things,” McGuire said.
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Actress Jaimasan Sutton starred in, co-wrote and helped with costumes for “Room To Grow” by film group The Tarantinos. After working on University of New Mexico film department capstone projects, she became interested in acting and got involved with 48HFP.
“My favorite part of the experience working with 48-Hour Film Project was how kind and welcoming the whole team was. We were all so excited to work together, it was great,” Sutton said.
Recently, 48HFP expanded to include College 48, a version of the competition specifically geared toward college students.
“I love that 48HFP gives anyone the opportunity to make a movie,” Ferri said.
Maria Fernandez is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com
