Panthers! It’s officially April and that means we’re just a few weeks away from our second annual Panther Film Festival! We know that the semester can get complicated, so maybe not everyone who wanted to make a short film was able to find the time. Fret not, Panther FIlmmakers, as you still have some time left to make a short film — and, thanks to generous offers of help from local filmmakers, we can help you get it done.
This weekend, take part in our new 48 Hour Filmmaking Challenge. The “challenge” will grant any students who are interested in making or being part of a short film the chance to meet and collaborate with other aspiring filmmakers on campus. Join us this Saturday, April 6 at 10:00 AM in DM 457 for the first day of the challenge. Participants will be placed in groups and spend the day planning their short. Students will work together to come up with a story, write a script, rehearse lines, location scout, storyboard, and develop shot lists to execute the following day. We ask that submissions for this challenge not exceed a total runtime of (5) minutes.
Then, on Sunday, April 7, filmmaking groups should return to FIU with all of Saturday’s preparations in mind and ready to shoot. Local veteran filmmaker Manuel Delgadillo will be on site with professional equipment to help groups film their shorts. We ask that groups come ready to roll in order to ensure that that every group interested in receiving assistance is able to work with Manuel and the other veteran filmmakers that will be helping. We strongly encourage students to bring their own SD Cards or have a laptop on hand to download the footage and audio recorded.
By the end of Sunday, students will ideally have all that they need in order to begin piecing together and editing their submissions. Don’t forget, the deadline for submissions for this year’s Panther Film Festival is Sunday, April 14th, 2019. We hope to see both new and familiar faces this weekend and encourage first-time filmmakers to take advantage of this opportunity to work with other students who might already have some experience. If you have any questions regarding the 48 Hour Filmmaking Challenge or Panther Film Festival, please send an email to fiupffest@gmail.com or reach out to Mario Avalos at 786-853-0071.