Pearl Lorentzen
Lakeside Leader

A local film group is offering people the opportunity to take part in a weekend film-making competition.

Peace Region Independent Media Arts Association (PRIMAA) is based out of Grande Prairie, but covers the whole peace region and extends east to Slave Lake. For example, the vice president, Sonja Jarrett, lives in Slave Lake.

PRIMAA strives to “foster a film and media arts community, because we need that way up here in the north,” says Jarrett.

One of the ways, PRIMAA does this is through a Frantic 48 Film Challenge.

The 10th annual Frantic 48 runs April 14 to 16, 2023. At 6 p.m. on the 14th, registered teams will receive an email with three prompts – a genre, line of dialogue, and a prop.

Participants have 48 hours to write, film, edit and make a poster for a two to seven-minute film, which includes all three prompts.

People signed up for the PRIMAA news letters will receive two of these prompts ahead of time.

“You don’t have to be good at it,” says Jarrett. “Don’t be intimidated. If all you have is your phone, use it. It’s fun creating stuff with your friends.”

There is no limit on team size.

The Frantic 48 is judged by two people who work in the industry – Jessica Moutray (producer) and Graham Brunskill, who worked in the art department on Prey (2022), X2: X-Men United (2003), and Deep Rising (1998).

There are two prizes – judges’ choice and audience choice.

Audiences will be able to view the videos starting on April 29th on YouTube. Contestants will receive a link to the films.

Prior to the Frantic 48, PRIMAA is offering an online course on March 25 to 26 to help people prepare.

The course is called ‘How to Make Award-Winning Films in a Hurry: How limitations can inspire creativity.’ David Ross (film director) and Leanne Bausman (cinematographer) are teaching the workshop. Both have done this type of challenge before.

The film challenge costs $30 for non-members and $20 for members. PRIMAA membership costs $20 per year. For more details or to register, go to primaa.org.

In Slave Lake, PRIMAA has also partnered with the Rotary Club of Slave Lake Public Library to organize Reel Talk. People watch a movie and discuss it. It is the first Tuesday of the month from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the library. The next Reel Talk is April 4, and the movie is The Fault in Our Stars.