Pop Smart - Focusing on Rapid i Movement

I’ve been a part of some minor filmmaking projects in my day — mostly documentaries of road trips that we only remembered to film when we were in the car and there was nothing to see but miles of endless highway in front of us. Or there was the time some friends and I made a music video to “The Circle of Life,” complete with a choreographed dance and re-creation of Simba on Pride Rock, but that’s just downright embarrassing.

But there really are people who are good at this stuff, and I’m not talking about people who went to film school or work in the industry. Filmmaking as a hobby is fascinating to me because, while any home movie I’ve starred in has been a joke, others can create amazing works of art with a little bit of time and a camcorder.

All that said, I will not be competing in Rapid i Movement, a film festival competition in which contestants are given 50 hours to write, direct, shoot and edit a six-minute film. I do, however, strongly encourage those übercreative, MacBook-wielding types to go for it! Because in addition to bragging rights, the winners receive a spot in (and passes to) the Atlanta Film Festival.

Teams and individuals can sign up to participate until 10 p.m. Wed., Feb. 27, and the actual filming takes place between Fri., Feb. 29, and Sun., March 2.

If sitting back and watching is more your kind of thing, the date you want to remember is Tues., March 4, because that’s when the films will be screened. You’ll even get a chance to win door prizes and vote on favorites. Click here to buy tickets.

Films will be shown March 4 at 7:30 p.m. at IMAGE, located at 535 Means St., Suite C (inside Atlanta Contemporary Art Center).