IndependentFilm.com

NEW YORK, April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP), in honor of the 125th anniversary of the American Red Cross, is holding its first ever invitational competition for 48HFP top-notch veteran filmmaking teams. The six specially selected teams were issued the challenge to write, shoot, and edit a 125-second film in just 48 hours the weekend of March 17-19.

Celebrity judges will decide which film best represents the mission and compassionate services of the American Red Cross. ARC will announce the winner at its Convention in Washington, D.C. in May 2006 as part of its 125th Anniversary celebration.

"The 48HFP is itself a group of passionate volunteer filmmakers that come together annually to rise to a challenge. After last fall's hurricane season, we partnered with the Red Cross to play our part by contributing film and funds to the relief effort. The Invitational is a unique extension of our partnership where our most talented teams can volunteer their work to once again benefit the Red Cross," said Mark Ruppert, founder of the 48HFP.

Skilled film teams from Philadelphia, Nashville, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and St. Louis were asked to complete a film, using the standard 48HFP rules - every film must include a surprise character, a prop and a line of dialogue. In honor of the American Red Cross' 125th Anniversary, the 48HFP also required filmmakers to limit the length of their film to 125 seconds (2 minutes, 5 seconds).

American Red Cross Officer and 48 Hours Project Coordinator Andrea Koslow said, "For the past 125 years, American Red Cross volunteers have brought a wide variety of talents to bear. Today, we see the volunteer spirit in a new way through the unique contributions by the filmmakers and celebrity judges who volunteered their time and talent to this unique project. The partnership with the 48HFP invitational demonstrates that today's volunteers can contribute in new and exciting ways that we may have never before imagined."

The panel of celebrity judges is currently reviewing the films. They will also be screened at the American Red Cross Convention and can be viewed online at the Red Cross website, www.redcross.org, where a full list of celebrity judges is also listed. The film titles and their production teams are:

* The Big Check - Genre: Romance, Atlanta, GA
* Donut or Donate- Genre: Sci-Fi, Los Angeles, CA
* Do What You Can - Genre: Fantasy, Nashville, TN
* Utter Disaster - Genre: Mockumentary, Philadelphia, PA
* Duality - Genre: Superhero, St. Louis, MO
* Disaster Relief - Genre: Comedy, Washington, DC

The grand prize winner will receive a one-on-one mentoring meeting with James Keach, who won a Golden Globe for "Walk the Line" and directed the upcoming film, "Blind Guy Driving," and the film with the highest number of online votes will participate in a mentoring meeting with Brady Connell, an award-winning producer from "The Amazing Race."

The Red Cross invites the public to cast their vote for their favorite film. For more information, log on to www.redcross.org and follow the links to 48HFP. The winner will be posted mid-May.

About The 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP)

The mission of 48HFP, www.48hourfilm.com, is to advance filmmaking and promote filmmakers. Through its festival/competition, the Project encourages filmmakers and would-be filmmakers to get out there and make movies. 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." To date, more than 30,000 people have participated in the 48HFP.

Source: The 48 Hour Film Project; American Red Cross

Web site: http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.48hourfilm.com/