Ayaris Perez, and his colleague, Edwin Torres, both filmmakers from Norwood, make up half of the Bronx Film 48 team, a Bronx community film initiative established in March 2019, the goal of which is to increase the number of filmmakers in the Bronx, increase the number of produced films within the Bronx, and connect filmmakers through networking events, workshops and an annual 48-hour film challenge.

The group is launching the 2nd annual Bronx 48-hour film challenge on Jul. 10 at 5:00 p.m. This time, it’s an indoor film challenge, requiring all short film submissions to be made indoors. “It is our desire this year to begin contacting major film studios, streaming platforms, and production companies to provide exposure for the work of our participants,” the group wrote via a press release.

“As a team, we had many virtual conversations on whether or not this film challenge needs to happen,” the group wrote. “We discussed the necessary changes to the challenge. We asked ourselves several key questions. Would it be worth it to do this? Should we take a year off and focus on building our systems of organization and team chemistry? Would anyone really want to make a film during a pandemic?”

They said that although the world is still living through the COVID 19 pandemic, it was imperative that stories continue to be told, saying artists, creatives, and filmmakers all have perspectives to share, especially now. They also said that filmmaking is a collaborative process that makes room for growth, and has the potential to influence true social change in the world. It’s why the founding members of Bronx Film 48 believe now is the time to create.

So, how does an indoor 48-hour film challenge work? All film submissions must be between three and seven minutes long. The films must be filmed, edited, exported and delivered within 48 hours. Participating teams must sign up through the bronxfilm48 website (details further below). They will then receive what are called required elements, which are genre, character name, prop, line of dialogue and featured interior space, as well as the day of the virtual kick off, which is the day the challenge begins i.e. Jul. 10 at 5:00 p.m. Screenings will be held virtually on YouTube live and Facebook live during late July or early August.

For anyone who needs more of an incentive to participate, the group said there are three prizes, and 12 award categories this year. These include a one-day rental package of video and audio equipment to be used in a studio space in Brooklyn, courtesy of JMR Rentals, a cash award of $400, a free 1 TB external hard drive, and two 64 GB memory cards.

Award categories include 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for Best Film, as well as another nine awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Story, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Use of the Required Elements, and Fan Favorite. All accepted films will be judged by four industry professionals.

The group said that during the discussions leading up to this year’s event, they contemplated the scope of work and consequently, spoke of a void. The pandemic clearly impacted their plans, as it did everyone’s, but they asked themselves how they could say they were for and of their community, if they decided to do nothing? How could they categorize themselves as community filmmakers if they were inactive? “Doing nothing is easy,” they said. “In March and April, we, as a country, retreated to our screens for our shows and movies. We retreated to art to feel better, to escape. However, escapism does not work for long. We require action.”

The filmmakers said they wanted to provide a local catalyst for action through filmmaking – a challenge that fosters the creation of original works and ideas, since films stimulate dialogue. “Our community needs this. After our networking event sold out in March, we knew we just had to keep the momentum going, for our community, not ourselves,” they said. They decided they needed to continue with their chosen art form and realized as a team that an indoor edition of their film challenge would be the only way to go. They said they also knew they needed to offer prizes to incentivize people to make a short film.

The group said that artists influence one another, and filmmaking is a collaborative process that allows for growth and learning. They said this next challenge is important because the time to create is now, and the creations will live on. “We genuinely believe we will establish an archive of Bronx artists and voices, an archive for our communities and future generations to revisit,” they said.

“It is imperative that we do not let others speak for us,” they added. “Art and activism blends. Film is art. Art can bolster the dialogue for social change. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. It is time for us to create and navigate how our art form of filmmaking can be liberating and healing too. A virtual screening of the works of filmmaking teams will build a robust community right here in the Bronx.”

The challenge, they said, is a chance for filmmakers to bounce back into a creative flow, and for anyone who has never made a film before – an opportunity to stop day-dreaming about making films, and actually jump into the craft. “There is no such thing as an aspiring filmmaker,” the group said. “With this challenge, anyone can become a filmmaker.”

Since this is an opportunity that does not require any prior experience or expertise, they said it doesn’t matter what resources people have at their disposal – it’s how they choose to use them. There is no entry fee, and therefore, it’s an accessible challenge for those in the Bronx and the rest of the city who have an interior space to use, and a desire to create a film.

In terms of other rules, the group said people can work with others remotely, or in person, as long as participants practice social distancing. In summary, they said people should care about this 48-hour film challenge because it’s an opportunity not to be perfect, to be bold, and to add to the wider discussion, especially now.

More information can be found on the group’s website at https://www.bronxfilm48.com/

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.