Delicious – or Really Delicious

…we usually bring great online short film here, and we’ll continue to do so.

But this week, we can’t resist sharing this gem from a one-of-a-kind 1974 radio broadcast in Houston.

The video backing on this is just ordinary, but the treasure is the authenticity of the performance.  Hope you dig it!

Oh yeah.  If you find this as irresistible as we do — then get to Oracle Arena on Nov 30th because the Boss and the boys will be there that night!

San Jose 48 Hour Film Project 2012 Finalists

Filmmakers around Silicon Valley have been holding their breaths to hear the names of the finalists for awards in the San Jose 48 Hour Film Project.

You can find out who won the awards, and see many of these films if you join us at the Highlights and Awards show on Sunday night in San Jose.  It’s at the Theatre on San Pedro Square, the doors open at 5:30pm. (Tickets can be purchased in advance online here.)

Here they are with each finalist group presented in alphabetical order.

Best Use of Prop

  • The Stallion
  • Staycation
  • Whack-a-Doo

Best Use of Line

  • Myself
  • Staycation
  • Whack-a-Doo

Best Use of Genre

  • 2 Eleven
  • A Piñata Story
  • Torn

Best Choreography

  • Beneath the Badge
  • The Schmuck
  • Torn

Best Music

  • The Schmuck
  • Torn
  • Vestern 2: Another Western

Best Special Effects

  • Hector’s Playground
  • Myself
  • Whack-a-Doo

Best Screenplay

  • 2 Eleven
  • Myself
  • O’Kane 1.0

Best Editing

  • Hector’s Playground
  • O’Kane 1.0
  • Vestern 2: Another Western

Best Cinematography

  • 2 Eleven
  • O’Kane 1.0
  • Torn

Best Acting (male)

  • Raymund Aranda (Myself)
  • James Davis Jr. (Myself)
  • Michael Placencia (Staycation)

Best Acting (female)

  • Sarah Jean Allen (Torn)
  • Jennifer Ball (Staycation)
  • Shetal Waters (2 Eleven)

Best Direction

  • O’Kane 1.0
  • Staycation
  • Torn

Audience Choice Finalists – Screening Group A

  • 2 Eleven
  • A Piñata Story
  • Whack-a-Doo

Audience Choice Finalists – Screening Group B

  • Staycation
  • Torn
  • Vestern 2: Another Western

Best Film

  • 2 Eleven
  • O’Kane 1.0
  • Torn

 

Final Selection

Life is filled with choices. Sometimes we choose a path and are free to return later and make another selection. Sometimes we are faced with a decision that changes everything for good.

Paul Aspruria and Fim Antics have chosen to compete in the 48 Hour Film Project many times over the years and this year they scheduled themselves to submit films in several cities. Here’s their contribution to the Los Angeles competition.

We look forward to seeing how they do in the San Jose polling with audiences and judges.

For Each, A Perfect Fit

There are consultants for everything now. Someone can tell you where your furniture goes. Someone can tell you how to manage your personal finances. Another is there to tell you when to sell your house, or your stocks. But there’s one consultant we didn’t expect. The folks at It Donned On Me know about her though, and brought us this story about her practice.

You can see what this competitive filmmaking team comes up with for their next story if you join us at the 48 Hour Film Project screenings this week in San Jose. Nearly 30 teams competed in the event and their short films will screen at the Blue Light Cinemas on Wednesday and Thursday night.

Adventure, Love, Triumph

No matter how humble our station in life, all of us aspire to a few basic things. The folks at Story Cake understood this when they made their audience pleaser, Roll Bottle Roll. Their entry in the 2011 San Jose 48 Hour Film Project won our hearts as it led us through the adventures of an unlikely hero.

The visual effects, the music, and the demonstration of great story telling all combined to give us this charming tale.

You can try your hand at the amazing challenge of creating a short film in just 48 hours. The competition returns to San Jose in August 2015. Keep an eye on the website for details. http://48hourfilm.com/en/sanjose. Sign up for the mailing list there for best results.

Work of A Lifetime

One thing we love about the 48 Hour Film Project is the opportunity to learn about people who might otherwise not come to our attention.

This story of Zach Alexander is one such story. A man driven to distraction by the mission of a lifetime, The Great White Rat is a story that could possibly inspire us all. (Although maybe it could inspire us to be careful who we let in our houses!)

Enjoy this short film from Seth, Callie, and Jennifer Friesen.

This film was an award winner for 2009 in San Jose. There’s still time to register for the competition in August.

You can take a look at Seth Freisen’s latest film tonight at the St. Francis Winery “Stars Under the Stars” Outdoor Film Festival. The 2012 film by Friesen clan, Joseph’s War Pony will warm the wine country audience up before seeing Mama Mia. Be there by 7pm if you’d like to enjoy the live music by The Cork Pullers.

From Humble Seeds

Each summer in June, San Francisco filmmakers gather to embark upon the 48 Hour Film Project, and each year in August, many of them do it again in San Jose. For several years now, one of the teams that has cropped up again and again to turn in a story is formed by the folks who call themselves Stabbing My Jelly.  This year their randomly selected genre was horror and this is the film they created.

You can see all of the films that filmmakers produce for the San Jose competition at the Blue Light Cinema in Cupertino CA on Aug 15 and 16th. We haven’t seen a registration from Stabbing My Jelly yet, but we do know that veterans Film Antics, It Donned On Me,  Unda Da Hood, and Chikinbone will all be there. You won’t want to miss it.

Do Whatever It Takes

Competitive filmmaking team Film Antics has been submitting entries to the 48 Hour Film Project for as long as it has been in San Jose. Their short films have garnered recognition on multiple occasions with jury awards including Best Cinematography in both San Jose and San Francisco. They will return to the 2012 San Jose competition in a year during which they have already competed in other cities. This is a tenacious and talented team.

This entry from their San Diego competition tells the story of a man who must do whatever it takes to get what he needs. Take a look now at Room 133.

 

There is still time to register a team to compete in the August event. Regular registration fees are in effect through Tuesday, July 31. After that, the late registration fee is in effect.  Here are some other dates that relate to the event.

Aug 2 – Happy Hour Meet & Greet at San Pedro Square Market. No tickets or cover charge. Be there to meet other filmmakers and sponsors from the San Jose community

Aug 12 – Film Dropoff at South First Billiards. Join filmmakers as they turn in their movies and swap fresh war stories. No tickets or cover charge.

Aug 15 & 16 – Screenings. All films turned in on time will be screened at the Blue Light Cinema in Cupertino

Sep 9 – Awards and Highlights. See a dozen or more of the top entries and learn first hand who wins the coveted Audience Choice Awards and the jurists’ selection for City Winner.