 168 Festival Wraps with Red Carpet and Awards Show by Angela Walker How many films can you watch in two days? If you went to the 168 Festival on March 26 and 27, 2010, in the Los Angeles area, the answer would be 70. If that sounds like a lot, consider that the number of entries into the festival was more than 450. What's so great about the 168? Consider the parameters of this unique festival and film incubator. Teams have 168 hours (7 days, one week) to create a short film from start to finish. An overall theme is announced and teams draw a Bible verse to interpret into a film, which is to be filmed, edited, and finished during the one-week period. Sound easy? Maybe if you're shooting it with your dad's little handheld camera and you're not doing anything more sophisticated than filming kids playing in the yard. But what about a fully scripted film with effects, sound editing, and a cast of more than 3? And what about complying with industry standards for union participation? The films entered run the gamut from documentary to comedy to drama to thriller, with an occasional horror thrown in. And they're not all English language films. Founder and president John David Ware dreamed up the festival eight years ago and has watched it grow from 14 entries to more than 450 this year. Each year, he's added new workshops to help filmmakers (StoryLab, Casting Day, Write of Passage Screenwriting Contest, and mixers to bring cast members together), providing important tools for those entering the festival. The following films received awards this year: The Party - Best Film, Director, Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay (Drama) Try Hard - Best Comedy, Screenplay (Comedy) Just Cops - Best Cinematography, Editor, Sound Design, Production Design, Makeup Through My Sister's Eyes - Best Scriptural Integration Moya - Best Supporting Actor Got a Light - Best Original Score Out of the Fire - Newcomer Award Relentless Heart - Evangelista Connectivity - Best Behind the Scenes Documentary Pesan Terkirim (Message Sent) - Best International Film Desert Ark - Best Unlimited Documentary You can purchase a DVD with The Best of the Festival from the last several years at the 168 Project Website. ©2010 ChristianCinema.com | 
