As rain pelted down onto the city sidewalk, the Uptown SIFF Cinema opened its doors. Ready for a night of horror, the guests piled into the local theater, ordering popcorn, drinks and refreshments. It’s late, it’s Halloween and it’s time for Seattle’s 2024 48 Hour Film Project.
The 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) is a film festival open to filmmakers of all sorts. Whether new to the scene or returning after many years, everyone gets together to write, film and edit a seven-minute film, all in the same weekend.
On top of the limited time constraint, contestants are given a character, prop and line that must be included within the content of their film. This year, films were required to include a radio station employee named Elliott or Ellie Parker, a frying pan, and the line, “You’re not going to like this.”
Once the films have all been submitted, they’re spread across four showing nights, where audience members can vote for their favorite films. The judges then review the films, and the winner goes on to compete against submissions from all across the country with the chance of winning “Best 48HFP Film of 2024.”
This year, over 50 production teams entered the challenge, all overcoming their own trials and obstacles to create a final product for the world to see.
Directed by Augi Moyer and produced by Soggy Scripts, one featured short film titled “Hound Below,” follows a group of women as they vacation in a treehouse. As they share ghost stories from the area, a gas leak goes unnoticed by the three of them. Hopped up on nerves and carbon monoxide, the women experience a series of unfortunate events, leaving behind a lone survivor and a ghostly dog.
Moyer emphasized the demanding process of writing, filming and editing all in a 48-hour period. One of her hardest challenges was accepting minuscule imperfections in exchange for the overall quality of the production. In a competition where every minute counts, there was minimal time to re-do shots, fix the pacing, or rework the script.
Corryn Gutierrez, one of the film’s lead actresses, emphasized the way the rushed filming process served as a bonding experience. Despite any stress, the crew had a great time together.
“After shooting, we all felt so much closer together,” Gutierrez recalled. Gutierrez has previously acted in other 48HFP productions along with Moyer.
This year was Moyer’s first time directing, and she filled in the shoes of a director amazingly. “Hound Below” garnered enthusiastic audience reactions with its dynamic shots, unique concept and, of course, the cutest doggy actor.
“I think more women should get involved with the production side,” Moyer stated, “There’s so many talented women out there who don’t apply because they don’t feel qualified when their male counterparts say, ‘Screw it, I’ll learn on the job.’”
Soggy Scripts prides itself on being a primarily female/female presenting team. A different group showcased an entire cast of actors with disabilities. Others included writers, actors and editors who were BIPOC and LGBTQ+. This diversity and variety led to an abundance of original works.
As audience member Rizal Tan put it, “It was all very unique. They all had different ideas and themes; none felt like something too generic or trying to recreate something that already exists.”
With that, the final film played, the credits rolled and the audience voted for their favorite film of the night. As the director of each film came forth to say a word or two, the tallies were counted. Then, the winner of the night was announced.
“What’s That Smell?” from the Evil Gold Team, won first place with its high production value, comedic concept and amazing acting. Following a man’s first day at a new job, he’s afflicted with an unfortunate stomach problem and spends the rest of the day at the mercy of time—and his bowels.
While the theater closed for the night, the crowd congregated outside the doors, chatting about the films from the night. Some went across the street to have a bite at Dick’s Drive-In, some left to enjoy the rest of their night, but we all went on to have a very happy Halloween.
