Spokeswoman was present at the AFI Theater last night with 48 Hour Film Festival team Cardiff Giant. It was a great showing, not only because of our particular penchant for “Dodge” our Action Adventure Film but because viewing film in an arena like this is an experiential happening. The audience responds, plays, shouts out, wears kitschy costumes and fabulous tee shirts; in short it’s more reminiscent of theater shows and their audiences than film.
The films yielded a range of talents, scripts, and plots from the cohesive to the ‘not so’. but regardless of production value the crowd was present for each. Not just physically taking up space in cushy theater chairs but responding with nuanced laughter, sardonic sighs, with ‘I can’t believe they used that there”s. Filmmakers could instantly see where they have succeeded and where the crowd was left scratching their heads.
I realize that people laugh, comment, and get lost during regular films but the attention of the audience and their interaction with the screen at the AFI was palpable.
No- I don’t attend many screening where I have a hand in the making of the movie so perhaps my own adrenaline was in part responsible for my heightened awareness of crowd interplay.

Although the movies ‘compete against’ each other there is a feeling of community, understood sleeplessness, and a creative drive that leads you to spend your weekends creating low budget short films. In part that is what made the audience feel more like a cast, more like Shakespearian groundlings than the sedated summer blockbuster go-ers. I can assure you that this event and viewing these gritty, charming, and almost intelligible films far outweighed any film experience in my recent memory.
Shall I leave you with trite conviction that more money doesn’t equally better movies, or better yet, indie crowds are wacky- no I don’t think that’s very insightful. I just wonder how we can capture that ‘awake -ness and fun in our movie experience more often.
At the very least 48 Hour Film Festival reminds you of the hundreds if not thousands of people waiting for their creative break, moment to film, write, edit, & compose.
Thank you to Cardiff Giant and all of the audience members that laughed, gasped, and groined at the appropriate times during our film. It was fun.

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