Imagine having to write, shoot and edit a short film in under 48 hours. It may sound impossible, but for students from the School of Media, Art & Design (MAD) at Durham College (DC), this is just a regular assignment and the goal of the 3rd annual 48-Hour Film Challenge.

On October 9, more than 400 MAD students spanning five programs were placed into 50 teams and each given a line of dialogue, prop and hero type that had to be included in their final submissions. Second-year and graduate-program students participating as veterans were also required to take on the role of producer or director to make the competition more challenging for them. On October 12, the films were screened at the Cineplex Odeon Theatre in Oshawa and judged by a panel of industry professionals.

Members of the film crew for this year’s best picture winner, Butterfly Man, which includes Steve Donoghue, Thi Thu Hang Bui, Nicholas Eeuwes and Amy Fawcett, will now have their names engraved on the prestigious Deanie Award, a trophy featuring a miniature likeness of MAD executive dean Greg Murphy. The following films were also honoured at the screening:

• Dustin Time – Reluctant Hero category
• The High Road – Returning Hero category
• MeCycler – Anti-hero category
• Justice is Delivered – Accidental Hero category

“This year’s challenge was very successful,” said Jennifer Bedford, a professor in both the Photography and Video Production programs for MAD. “Creative arts fields are known for having very tight deadlines and high expectations, and this challenge emphasizes the importance of producing great work under a lot of pressure. We’re thrilled that, for the third year in a row, we had a 100-per-cent success rate for all films being submitted.”

The following industry professionals and DC employees comprised the jury which chose the winners in all categories: Eileen Kennedy, liaison, Durham Region Film Office; John Arkelian, film critic, Cinechats and ArtForum; Melissa Pringle, corporate and board secretary, Office of the President, DC; Janine Knight-Grofe, manager, International Education, DC; Marnie Mandel, cultural development coordinator, City of Oshawa; and Sandra Fox, foley artist, Footsteps Post-Production Sound Inc.

The film challenge brought together students from DC’s programs in Advanced Filmmaking, Broadcasting for Radio & Contemporary Media, Media Fundamentals, Photography and Video Production, along with mentoring staff and faculty.

The largest competition of its kind in Canada, the event is designed to help students meet and collaborate across program boundaries and form a community of emerging content creators. It also provides students with an opportunity to flex their creativity and develop so-called “soft skills,” such as communication, teamwork and problem solving, which are vital to achieving success after graduation.