3 minute film smackdown at Saturday’s Shadow Art Fair

For the second year in a row, we’re happy to announce that our friends at the Ann Arbor Film Festival will be hosting a one-day film competition at the Shadow Art Fair. Following is a quick interview about the competiton with AAFF Director Donald Harrison.

MARK: For those folks who weren’t at last summer’s Shadow Art Fair, can you tell us what Cinemasports is all about?

DONALD: Cinemasports is a film challenge where self-assembled teams have 10 hours to make a 3 minute movie which includes ingredients assigned that morning. It’s almost a ridiculous premise, which I rather like as the results can be surprisingly good considering the extreme constraints. For filmmakers who often spend months and years slogging away at their projects, there’s something incredibly gratifying about shooting, editing and screening an original film all in one day. And for non-filmmakers, the bar’s set pretty low since no one’s expecting a masterpiece in 10 hours. It’s usually a pretty fun and memorable experience.

MARK: When do things kick off on the morning of the 16th?

DONALD: We’ll meet at the Corner Brewery at 10:30am, with the ingredients announced at 11am. The clock starts running and teams have to turn in their completed piece that night at Corner Brewery by 9pm. The screening will start at 10pm, with all of these works being seen for the first time in front of a real audience.

MARK: What do you recall from last time?

DONALD: I remember stupidly agreeing to screen someone’s piece if they shot it sideways, which meant I had to rearrange the screen and try to hold the projector steady on its side while sitting in my lap. It turned out great though, once we worked out the configuration, and the piece won one of the awards. No sideways projection allowed though this year!

MARK: Were there cheaters? Did teams try to sabotage one another?

DONALD: I did not catch any cheaters, but we did have tech challenges, latecomers and drunken banter with the audience. I hope this year the teams talk more trash to each other and get into it.

MARK: Tell us about some of your favorite last entries last year.

DONALD: The sideways film, How to Mend a Broken Heart, by C. Jacqueline Wood was simple and yet surprisingly poignant. The filmmaker came up with a good concept that she was able to deliver within the time and resource limitations. Another film that won an award was Oil Babies by Jon Moodie, which was timely with the BP oil disaster and a smart collage using archival footage.

MARK: The Shadow Art Fair is going to be contributing $100 in prize money. How will you be divvying it up?

DONALD: We’ll let our awards jury decide the top 1 – 2 films and determine the receipt of those riches.

MARK: Who will be judging, and when can people see the final products?

DONALD: I don’t know yet who will be judging, but they will be smart-looking, overly-qualified and possibly inebriated by that hour of the SAF. The screening is slated to start at 10pm and I have no idea what we’ll be showing. I’m really looking forward to it.

So, if you’re interested, just sign-up online, and show up at the Corner Brewery (720 Norris Street, Ypsilanti) at 10:30 AM Saturday morning. The ingredients will be announced at 11:00 AM. Completed films are due back at the Corner Brewery by 9:30 PM sharp, with the screening starting at 10:00 PM. Formats accepted for final screening are: DVD or Quicktime file. It’s free to participate, and there will be $100 in prizes awarded. The first 12 teams to sign up are guaranteed a screening of their work (if they submit on time).

For more information, click here.

[note: The above photo was just sent to me from Minneapolis, where some bad person, or persons, have apparently done some creative vandalism.]

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8 Comments

  1. Alan
    Posted July 10, 2011 at 8:08 am | Permalink

    I’m old and have no fingers with which to control a video camera, but, if I were younger, and had a finger or two, I’d do a Shadow Art Fair lip dub.

  2. Edward
    Posted July 10, 2011 at 9:26 am | Permalink

    Did you copy the colors of the Minneapolis Uptown Art Fair or is it a coincidence that they’re an exact match?

  3. Knox
    Posted July 10, 2011 at 2:26 pm | Permalink

    If they’re really encouraging sabotage, cheating and trash-talking, I may give it a shot this year.

    According to the sign-up form, you don’t even have to be here. You can participate remotely, though the internet.

  4. Edward
    Posted July 11, 2011 at 8:29 am | Permalink

    As for ingredients, I have a few suggestions.

    backyard chickens
    the Huron River
    prostitution
    magic
    casual sex
    public intoxication
    sedition
    libel
    noise
    Patrick Elkins
    Vaseline
    wrestling
    nose picking
    shoplifting
    evolution
    revolution
    the misunderstanding of history
    vandalism
    spray painting
    local business
    closed storefronts
    the takeover of public space
    bikes

  5. keneral
    Posted July 12, 2011 at 2:39 am | Permalink

    I plan to shoot mine at a 62-degree angle.

  6. Elf
    Posted July 12, 2011 at 7:14 pm | Permalink

    Has anyone every submitted porn?
    If so, is it likely to happen this time?
    If so, I may have to leave my house.

  7. 30Ruby
    Posted July 13, 2011 at 1:47 pm | Permalink

    I want to have explosions in mine. I need financing for that, though. If I set up a Kickstarter campaign, will you contribute? And, is there a house in Ypsi that you wouldn’t mind if I blew up?

  8. Kimiko Maria
    Posted July 14, 2011 at 1:05 pm | Permalink

    Beware, friends. Word is that Dan Florida is entering this competition.

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