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The 48 Hour Film Project / Equal Exchange Invitational pits 15 teams in 3 cities to make the best short film about food in one frantic weekend
West Bridgewater, MA – Oct. 7, 2008 – Question: Could you conceive, write, cast, shoot, score, and edit a film in just one weekend? What if someone else dictated the theme and genre, too? That is exactly what faced 15 teams of competing filmmakers recently in Boston, Seattle and Portland (Oregon) as part of the 48 Hour Film Project / Equal Exchange Invitational.
For seven years the 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) has organized these unique, crazy speed film-making competitions around the world. About once a year an organization, such as Equal Exchange, the American Red Cross or VISA, sponsors a 48HFP invitational where a small number of the best teams from past competitions compete to create a film focused on a theme determined by the sponsor. The theme for the Equal Exchange Invitational is “Dangerously Disconnected From Our Food” – in keeping with Equal Exchange’s 22 years as a leader in the organic and Fair Trade food movements.
The frenetic burst of creativity for this year’s Invitational started at exactly 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19, when five teams in each city met 48HFP and Equal Exchange representatives to learn the specifics of their respective assignments. Teams drew slips of paper from a hat to determine the genre for their film – ranging from sci-fi to musical to mockumentary – and were given a character, prop and line of dialogue (all determined by Equal Exchange) that each team had to incorporate into their film in some manner. Then they were off to the races.
By Monday each team had to submit their creations. The winning team will receive $1,000 and their film will be promoted by Equal Exchange online and elsewhere as part of their ongoing campaign to encourage the public to think longer and harder about where their food comes from, and about the significance of their food choices. There are also smaller awards for best directing, acting, and for the best film from each city.
The 13 completed films are a comical, and sometimes outlandish take on our relationship with food – from a future where people survive on indeterminate food stuffs (think of the Charlton Heston classic “Soylent Green”) to a Twinkie™-as-villain thriller. The films offer a fresh, irreverent look at the issues of food, agriculture and food politics.
According to Equal Exchange co-founder, Rink Dickinson:
“These are some funny films, and admittedly a few are pretty out there. But they all do the job – they’re fun yet make you stop and think about your food. We’ve been talking about these issues since 1986 and wanted to get others more involved. The 48HFP Invitational offers a way for us to bring these talented filmmakers into the national conversation about food.“
In each city a public screening of all 13 completed films will be held at 7p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The winners will be announced at the screenings.
After the screenings, all of the films may be viewed online, also at www.EqualExchange.coop/48hr.
For further information, to talk to a local filmmaker, or to arrange an interview with a filmmaker, please contact: Liz Langston at 202-285-5166 or Rodney North at 774-776-7398.
About the 48 Hour Film Project:
The 48 Hour Film Project, sponsored by Panasonic and Rumblefish, is the oldest and largest timed film competition in the world. In 2008, more than 70 cities participated, with over 40,000 people making films around the world. The 48 Hour Film Project’s mission is to advance filmmaking and promote filmmakers. The tight deadline of 48 hours puts the focus squarely on the filmmakers—emphasizing creativity and teamwork. While the time limit places an unusual restriction on the filmmakers, it is also liberating by putting an emphasis on “doing” instead of “talking”. For more information go to http://www.48hourfilm.com
About Equal Exchange:
A pioneer and U.S. market leader in Fair Trade since 1986, Equal Exchange is a full-service provider of high quality, organic coffee, tea, chocolate and healthy snacks to retailers and food service establishments. Major customers include Shaw’s, Whole Foods, Hannaford, Ten Thousand Villages, hundreds of natural food stores, restaurants, and thousands of places of worship nationwide. 100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting more than 40 small farmer co-operatives in 22 countries around the world. In keeping with its commitment to Fair Trade and economic democracy, Equal Exchange is a worker co-operative, 100% owned and governed by its employees.
Contact:
Rodney North
Equal Exchange
774-776-7398
rodney@equalexchange.coop
Digital video and photographs available upon request
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