48-Hour Film Race winners end the night at South Texas International Film Festival
Photo above: At left, Sylvia Vera and her husband Samuel Leaños accept the Best 48-Hour Film on Saturday, September 14, 2024. At right, Edinburg Film Friendly winner Dalia Bouchée gives her acceptance speech at the Edinburg Arts Cultural Entertainment Center on Saturday, September 14, 2024.
By Maria Ruiz, The Edinburg Advocate
Edinburg, Texas — Labor Day weekend, 40 teams worked to create a film within two days for the South Texas International Film Festival’s (STXIFF) 48-Hour Film Race, leaving two main winners at last Saturday’s gala and award ceremony.
The 48-Hour Film Race, in its 8th year, is a challenge that puts actors, directors, and crew’s skill and timing to the test to create an impactful flick.
Two days of work was translated into three minutes of films varying from live action and stop motion, covering themes of connection, grief, comedy, and suspense. Iconic Edinburg locations, such as the Echo Hotel and the Cinemark Movie Bistro, made an appearance in the entries.
Out of the 40 teams, 24 made it to last week’s showing, with nominees awaiting a win.
STXIFF hosts Brenda Garza, a McAllen-based actress, and George Lopez’s Valente Rodriguez, closed the ceremony that evening by awarding winners of the Edinburg Friendly Film and the Best 48-Hour Film.
Garza acknowledged the city of Edinburg and local businesses that helped filmmakers.
“I did want to acknowledge the city…and our business community that makes these films possible,” said Garza. “Many filmmakers rely on local support to bring their stories to life across various locations in the United States, around the world, but especially here in Edinburg. And Edinburg has proven to be a welcoming community for such creativity.”
Two contenders were listed for the Edinburg Friendly Film Category: the emotional Sunshine and the comedic yet heartfelt Dad.
In the end, Dalia Bouchée took home the award for her film Sunshine.
“The film of this race was ‘inspiration,” she said, then turning to Rodriguez, whom she viewed as a role model from a young age. “Twelve years ago, you inspired me…and to be here in person, it’s so surreal.”
Bouchée described the film, which follows a widowed young woman named Liz finding a note from her late husband, as an expression of grief with an undertone of hope.
“It’s about grief. We all go through it,” she said. “We all need something like something to hold on, to keep up fighting, and that’s what I wanted to portray with this film.”
The short film was meant to act as a call to healing to a universal feeling, with the concept being subjective for Bouchée during the planning process.
“Through my process of grief, I needed something to hold on to, so that’s what I put into the script as well,” she said.
Before his passing, the protagonist’s husband sends her flowers and notes to keep her optimism alive after his passing.
“Her husband, he knew she was going to need that little something, that little push to keep on living and not give up in life,” Bouchée said.
While Bouchée worked to portray grief and inspiration in her film, the next winner depicted something each individual can relate to: writer’s block.
Taking the final award that evening was Sylvia Vera, championing her film Just Go With It against works like twist thriller Don’t Forget and dark comedy Rob the Zombie.
Just Go With It hits all the thematic marks: the use of a Post-It note, the theme of inspiration, and the use of a whip-pan camera shot, where the camera pans so quickly it blurs during the transition of a scene.
The 3-minute film follows a woman at the Edinburg Sekula Memorial Library, writing story ideas on Post-It notes that range from horror, adventure, and comedy – all transitioning using a whip pan.
Vera utilized color in her film by framing her protagonist in a black-and-white scheme while her ideas were filled with color – the bright hue then bleeding into the real world once an idea was planted.
Joining Vera was her husband, Samuel Z. Leaños. The couple walked on stagehand in hand before giving their winning speech, saying that the STAFF has always felt like home to the couple.
What stood out in the duo’s project, however, was their limitation of a crew.
“This is the first film race where it is just ourselves,” Vera explained while gesturing to her husband. “The most beautiful thing is that it gave us a chance to be a team just like we are, always.”
Leaños said that although making a film was rigorous, the end product was worth the effort. Therefore, he extended the honor of their win to their competitors who finished the film race just as they did.
“Completing a film, no matter the length of it, it’s always a challenge,” Leaños said. “The fact that every single one of those teams that we competed with, and we screened with, are winners just by project. Being here is just a plus.”
The evening closed with an open dance floor, with guests dancing the night away celebrating local films.