Quickie

Movie production schedules can sometimes drag on and on, with endless delays and reshoots, script changes and editing fights. That's not the case with 48 Hour Film Project entrants. These aspiring filmmakers, actors and writers are faced with the daunting task of picking a genre out of a hat, then writing, filming and editing a short film — in 48 hours. The genres range from cop/detective to silent or even Western/musical, where the lucky contestants have to either make a Western, a musical, a musical Western, or a Western musical. It all started in Washington, D.C., seven years ago, when the main question was, "Will films that are made in 48 hours be viewable?" The answer was a resounding yes, and now the competition has spread to more than a dozen cities internationally.

The frantic filmmaking took place over the weekend, and the final products will be screened tonight starting at 7 p.m. at Starz FilmCenter in the Tivoli. The winner of Denver's contest will go on to the international finals, with a chance to win the title of Best 48 Hour Film for 2007 and walk away with $7,500. For more, go to www.48hourfilm.com/denver.
Aug. 8-9