Catamount Arts and School of Creative and Performing Arts (SOCAPA) will again organize its annual Tap Into Film: 48-Hour Film Slam, hosted this year at Burke Mountain Resort. Young filmmakers can register now to participate in the whirlwind two-day competition, which begins Friday, April 27, and ends with an awards show and screening on Sunday, April 29.
Online registration is open for teams of middle and high school-age students. Each team of three to five students will write, direct, shoot, and edit an entire short film in 48 hours. No filmmaking experience or equipment is required, but each team must have a team leader age 21 or over to ensure their safety throughout the weekend.
The challenge begins at Friday night’s opening ceremony when each registered team gets a goody bag. The goody bag assigns each team a genre, theme, and other surprise challenges meant to inspire resourcefulness, spontaneity, and quick thinking. Each team will write an original screenplay incorporating all of their goody bag elements, and then they’ll spend the weekend shooting and editing their film. All completed films will be screened Sunday night for the public, and cash prizes will be awarded for the best film in each age category and for audience favorite.
Students who are new to filmmaking, would like a refresher course, and/or plan to borrow equipment from SOCAPA can enroll in SOCAPA’s free film workshop offered during the Film Slam. SOCAPA’s experienced instructors will offer crash courses in screenwriting, camera usage, sound equipment, and editing. SOCAPA instructors will be on hand all weekend to assist with equipment, field technical questions, and help teams export their final films.
Although the Film Slam is competitive, the environment is welcoming, supportive, and fun. The event provides an excellent hands-on opportunity for creative teamwork, and the time constraints encourage flexibility and ingenuity. Students come away from the event with a completed short film, a network of other young filmmakers, and the confidence that comes with finishing a seemingly impossible task in a short period of time.
The Tap Into Film: 48-Hour Film Slam will take place at the Burke Mountain Hotel this year, where teams are invited to stay for only $10 per person. This new location will allow for more teams and a spacious, centralized location for team members to stay, learn, and create together. SOCAPA and Catamount Arts are committed to creating an inclusive experience for all interested filmmakers, so fee waivers are available for those who require them.
Team registration for the Tap Into Film: 48-Hour Student Film Slam closes on Saturday, April 14. To register or find more information (and to watch last year’s winning films), visit www.socapa.org/tapintofilm/. — from Catamount Film and Arts.
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