KHCPL’s sixth annual 48-Hour Film Contest rolls out some gems
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Hollywood ain’t got nothin’ on Kokomo. Okay. They have bigger film studios and bigger budgets. They have enormous crews to cover every detail, and they have the luxury of years to write, direct, film, and edit.
But the sixth annual 48-Hour Film Contest, organized by the Kokomo Howard County Public Library, showed once again that there is some serious filmmaking talent lurking in the City of Firsts. Last month, dozens of would-be directors and actors descended upon Sun King to receive their assignment: fully produce a movie within 48 hours.
The end result of this hurried work was put on display just a week later, as contest creator Ben Rutz welcomed the community back to Sun King for a night of film screenings and awards.
The contest requires the filmmakers to select an envelope at random at the kickoff event. Inside, they found their genre, a special filming location, and a featured line of dialogue: “There has to be a better way.” For an additional challenge, they could select a second envelope with more requirements.
Rutz explained the contest added new locations to the list to go with the random genre each filmmaking team had to tackle. Vault 223, Anne Marie’s, Lucky Raven Tattoo Lounge, and MO Jo’s Coffee were placed into the pool along with other downtown businesses, such as Kokomo Toys and Collectibles and Comics Cubed.
Showdown
The genres were mostly the same, with thriller, sci-fi, Western, action, and such being joined this year by comedy. However, there was another twist.
“You get the random location, genre, and line, but then you have to pick another thing to add,” said Rutz. “So, you either get two locations, or two genres if you want to do a weird genre blend, or you get a sound effect.”
This year’s sound effect was a needle scratch on a record player.
In total, 12 teams showed up at Sun King to receive their elements. Of them, 10 hit the 48-hour deadline for the competition. That is about average for the contest, which is in its sixth year. All that was left was to screen the films and hand out the awards. Rutz and his partner in crime Caele Pemberton were on hand to welcome the filmmakers and their fans to view the works.
“Continuing to come out and support us is what makes it so we can continue to do this year after year,” said Rutz. “So, as long as you keep making these films, we’ll keep getting the community together and showing off how awesome and talented everybody is.”
Monster Mayhem 2
The entrants included:
- “Backroads,” a Comedy/Thriller featuring P.F. Hendricks.
- “Final Cut,” an Action/Horror film featuring Comics Cubed.
- “Deleted,” a Sci-Fi film featuring Kokomo Toys and Collectibles, as well as the record scratch sound effect
- “Chosen,” a Sci-Fi film featuring the Pike Library (out-of-town production)
- “Showdown,” a Fantasy/Western featuring the Kokomo Howard County Public Library
- “How to Lose Your Mind in 10 Days,” a Mockumentary featuring Kingdom Cards and Games and Fired Arts Studio.
- “Reverie,” a Sci-Fi/Comedy featuring the Ball State University Library (out-of-town production)
- “The Big Cheese,” a Noir/Mystery featuring Kokomo Toys and Collectibles
- “Monster Mayhem 2,” a Horror/Thriller featuring Kingdom Cards and Games.
A 10th entrant, “The Crew,” a heist film featuring Vault 223 and MO Joe’s Coffee, was screened but was not eligible for awards, as Rutz and Pemberton created it.
The award for best use of the required line of dialogue went to “Final Cut.” Best use of the required location went to “Deleted,” which was assigned Kokomo Toys and Collectibles and used it to comedic effect. Best use of genre also went to “Deleted.”
A new award was handed out this year for best special effects, which went to “Backroads.” And another new award, this one for costumes and props, was given to “Monster Man 2.”
Best Actor was the next award given, and the judges had a lot to consider.
“This is an award we look at not only for the film as a whole, but one specific actor’s performance to showcase how they specifically elevated the movie,” said Rutz. “Did this actor embody their character so perfectly you just got lost in the story? Did they drop a solid line so perfectly that you fell over laughing. Did they add that special something to take their film to the next level?”
In the end, the judges selected Detective Steel from “The Big Cheese.”
A similar quandary arrived when the judges had to choose the winner of the award for best writing.
“We see the hard work and creativity each of you brings to your films, and every year our judges argue about finding one film to recognize for their script,” said Rutz. “We always expect excellent work from this team every year, and they have never let us down. For the dreamlike journey they took us all on, we award best writing to ‘Reverie.’”
Best directing went to “Chosen” for choices that stunned and unsettled the judges. And then Rutz announced the winner of the top award, Best Film.
“This is the award that threatens to tear our judges apart every year,” said Rutz. “There are 10 judges who get together every year and then almost fistfight each other, arguing who should win. This year we had some really great films, so it’s really difficult to decide who wins.
“When we’re looking at the best film, we look at the whole package. Careful planning. Effortless line delivery. Thoughtful use of their genre, seamless editing, and all of those other finishing touches that make us want to watch a film again and again.
“This film blew us away, partly because of how real it felt. We even had to question if it was truly a mockumentary or if it was genuine. For putting together the whole package this year, we award best film to ‘How to Lose Your Mind in 10 Days.’”
How to Lose Your Mind in 10 Days
After the screening and awards, Rutz was still filled with excitement, as the response to the contest ensured that it will return for a seventh iteration in 2027. For those who were unable to attend, all of the films are available for viewing on the Kokomo Howard County Public Library’s YouTube channel.
And for those who are interested in filmmaking, Rutz had more good news. The library hosts the Kokomo Filmmakers Group, which meets on the last Thursday of each month between January and October. The September meeting featured professional improvisation actors, and in October a professional prop master will teach a class for the group.