The best fast flicks from the annual V48 Hours film contest are in a televised showdown tonight. Russell Baillie previews the final
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More than 600 teams from around the country entered this year's V48 Hours Film competition.
But after one sleep-deprived weekend, weeks of screenings and local judging sessions, now just nine remain - six regional finalists and the three wildcards, which initially didn't make the final cut, but were chosen by Peter Jackson (see his comments below on his choices).
Tonight, all nine will screen on C4 before the winners are announced with the dishing-out of the $100,000 prize pool.
Having run five of the events, organiser Ant Timpson says the 2008 films make it probably the most interesting and diverse final yet.
"This year was a turning point in many ways, from an avalanche of teen teams bringing solid skills to the fray to many experienced teams favouring a dramatic edge over cheap gags."
"One grand final isn't enough to showcase how much unknown talent is out there. Network execs should be greasing my palm to give them a heads-up of just who the next Conchords might be."
As always, teams had to draw their genre at the beginning of the weekend, with this year's categories comprising musical or dance, superhero or fairytale, action or adventure, buddy movie, horror, crime, romance, drama, mystery, animal film, juvenile delinquent and time travel.
Also, every film had to feature a prop (a brush), a line ("Wait a minute") and a character (Kerry Post, a perfectionist).
The finalists have been judged by a 12-strong international judging panel of Australian, American and Canadian festival programmers and film buffs, And if home viewers don't agree with the judging, they can have their say by voting on the C4 website afterwards.
Here's how the finalists stack up:
The End
Drama, by Fractured Radius (Auckland)
Directed and starring Andy Conlon, whose debut DIY feature The Last Magic Show has had a recent cinematic release, this is a tense wee number about a gun-toting guy whose efforts trying to make things right with his girlfriend don't follow his scripted plans. As it swings between its parallel storylines - one's real, one's a delusion - it shows it's a smart piece of writing and editing. A definite contender.
Sum of All Parts
Horror, by Guerrilla Monkeys (Hamilton)
Unnerving serial killer nasty which casts Kerry Post as a psycho nerd with a thing for dismembering his women victims, its grimness offset by an amusingly eccentric soundtrack and Ross MacLeod's impressive lead performance.
Le Dernier Jour de Tony (Tony's Last Day)
Drama, by Kaiti Hill (Gisborne)
Told with dolls, the tale of homesick Tony's OE adventures in France, where he's attempting to teach the locals English with a Poverty Bay accent before finding La Barbie of his dreams.
Darlene
Juvenile Delinquent, by Smashing Pants (Wellington)
The most serious and grown-up drama of the bunch is this story about a teenage streetkid's infatuation with a 30-something suit-and-tie guy she encounters via a spot of burglary and motorcycle theft. Expect it to pick up an actress prize for its lead role.
The Real McCoy Agent Post: Or How I Stopped Being Pretentious And Learned To Love the Cliche
Mystery, by Spooce Media (Christchurch)
Another of this year's figurine-powered films, this one attempts to do a gung-ho Michael Bay blockbuster- nice helicopter against sunset shot there - with a toybox and vocal beatbox soundtrack. Manages to look as fantastically plastic in its few minutes on screen as two hours of a Bay film.
Two Bodies, One Night
Adventure, by The Dangly Gruffnuts (Dunedin)
Two blokes, a car, a dark Dunedin night and something worrying in the boot makes this a nicely executed black comedy which does smart things both at the start - dropping straight into proceedings without knowing everything that is going on - and the cruel twist of an ending.
Beyond Belief
Time Travel, by Lense Flare (Auckland)
Last year's wildcarders turned final winners return with the tale of a guy who seems to be reverting to his youth.
Says Peter Jackson: "An interesting spin on the time travel genre. Entertaining and fun - had a polished, professional look, but more importantly, it delivered on its premise. Made good use of camera tricks and handled a large idea with delicate strokes. Good movie!"
F*Dance
Dance, by Puppy Guts (Wellington)
A dance movie that brings a whole new meaning to "jazz hands".
Says Peter Jackson: "Inventive and, smart - a very difficult genre, delivered with clever visual story-telling. Very little dialogue, but good use of sound and well-thought-out visual invention conveys the story well. Very funny references. Not the slickest film made this year, but the ideas and level of entertainment are what matters. Lot of fun."
In Search of Bigfoot
Animal, by Goodfellas (Auckland)
Dead pan-humoured mock doco about the search for Sasquatch and the strange effect it has on those doing the pursuing.
Says Peter Jackson: "No big budget here - just great Kiwi characters in the great outdoors. Great stuff! This type of movie really illustrates a very important spirit of this competition - you don't need a glossy, professional-looking movie to reach the finals. This film had charm, genuine humour and very good performances. It's not about surface gloss - the heart and comic spirit that went into this shines through. Very refreshing."
V48 Hours Film Final, C4 tonight, 8.30pm.
