Library's 48-Hour Film Contest hits the screen
Nine teams of filmmakers put local talent on display
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Kokomo Howard County Public Library’s (KHCPL) 2023 Film Contest screenings were held recently at Sun King Brewery, showcasing local film makers and, in many cases, their family members in a fun-filled two hours that covered several film genres that the auteurs were given to work with.
From the beginning of the contest on Friday evening to the Sunday deadline when the finished video presentations were to be turned in, nine teams of filmmakers had 48 hours to write, film, and edit a seven-minute piece. The teams were assigned a film genre, a line that had to be used somewhere in the film (“On your left”), shoot one scene showing a branch of the Kokomo Howard County Public Library, and use a prop that was created by 3D printers at the Library’s Digital Den; a plastic butterfly.
Head of Marketing and Community Engagement for KHCPL Caele Pemberton stated that “12 projects were started and nine turned in,” by the Sunday deadline.
KHCPL Digital Den Director Ben Rutz was the master of ceremonies at the final screening, and after watching all of the films, gave out the awards. One theme started to emerge. Many of these films were collaborations using the filmmakers’ family members.
The “Guiding Spirit” team, consisting of sisters Kylie and Toni Betzner, winners of the “Best Use Of Line” award was one example of families working together on the film project. Kylie Betzner commented that when her sister came to her with the idea for contributing to the festival, “It sounded kind of painful,” but then relented and said it had been a fun experience.
Many of the teams gave credit to their mothers for helping with costuming or other needed items for the projects.
The winners of the Best Performance award, “Little Mister/Big Sister,” included local filmmaker Matt Myers’ entire family, all the way down to toddler, Oliver.
The Best Film Award winner, “Chrysalis,” was directed by Gretchen Bayer from a screenplay by her sister Kendra Bayer Foreman. The film featured their father and mother, artists and retired teachers Steve and Nancy Bayer, along with their husbands filling many roles in the film. The film’s protagonist, Kelley Hodges, a filmmaker herself, is a friend of the family.
“I’m lucky that I married into a family of creative people,” said “Chrysalis” cinematographer Jake Seagraves.
Here are the other KHCPL 48 Hour Film Contest award winners:
Best Use of Genre - “The Real Treasure”
Best Use of Line - “Guiding Spirit”
The Prop Master Award - “The Good, The Bad and the Weird”
Best Writing - “Colors That Bleed”
Best Directing - “Butterflies Between Us”
Best Performance - “Little Mister, Big Sister”
The ‘Oh Wow’ Award - “Nature is My Church”