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KU students scoop ‘best genre’ at international film festival

By Rachel Andrews Nov 3, 2016
'72' by Odd Sock Productions won best genre at the 48HFP Photo credit Odd Sock Productions

A group of Kingston University students won ‘best genre’ at an international 48 hour film festival, with their time travel film entitled ‘72’ in which a man must find a walkie talkie that will connect him with the future.

Odd Sock Productions competed against 34 other entries in the 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) and were awarded the highly competitive title with their film last week, despite not expecting a win.

“I’m so happy that we won. Even being nominated was amazing. We were also nominated for audience’s choice. We were up against industry professionals as well so weren’t expecting a win, even though we really wanted to,” said KU filmmaking student and art director of the film, Alice Bull, 20.

Henry Flemming, played by former KU drama and creative writing student Andrew Rowe, uncovers the secret to travelling through time after hearing his late grandmother, Helen Flemming, played by Ethel Crowe, on the end of a walkie talkie. He must decide whether to travel back in time to visit her or carry on to the future.

The group was composed of nine current and former KU students: Ricky Thompson, Georgie Honney,  Ben Ryan Hamill, Eliot Davie, Alice Bull, Chrissy Humphries, Berta Lozano Ferrer, Takahide George and Andrew Rowe, and two non-KU students: Ethel Crowe and Mollie McCarthy.

“Our film was about a man who could talk to his grandmother in 1972 through an old walkie talkie, she then makes it apparent to him that he can travel through time if he finds the sister walkie talkie to his one,” said producer of the film, Georgie Honnie.

On the Friday of the festival, participants were allocated a genre picked out of a hat, which could range from drama to femme-film, and a character name and an object to include.

“We only had 48 hours. We only did very brief brainstorming about what we wanted to film about, so pretty much ran with the most solid idea we had,” said Bull.

They then had just two days to plan, write, cast actors, shoot and edit to create a film that lasted somewhere between four and seven minutes long, and be good enough to scoop an award.

“As it is a competition, they give you three things that you must include in the film – a prop, a character and a line of dialogue. Ours for this competition were headphones, Henry/Helen Flemming and “Don’t feel that you have to reply”.”

The 48HFP takes place in different cities around the world on different weekends throughout the year. Entrants must pay an entry fee and follow strict guidelines for a chance of winning.

Director and editor of the film, Ricky Thompson said: “We wanted to get involved with it to get our company name ‘Odd Sock Productions’ out there. We also thought it was a great way to make contacts in the film industry.”

The 48HFP is being held in Bratislava, Slovakia this weekend, starting October 28.

Bull said: “I loved taking part. I would definitely encourage filmmakers to do it, whether they are at university or just people interested in filmmaking.”

Executive producer of 48HFP, Mark Ruppert , said of 72: “Typically we see a mix of pros and amateurs receiving awards. While professionals have an advantage, it often comes down to storytelling. We’ve seen it countless times that the better story beats the better technical aspects.”

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