The 48 Hour Film Project of Des Moines has been a staple in the city’s film scene for decades. But this weekend marks a change for many filmmaking teams who have regularly participated in the annual competition. The city’s longtime producer, Sam Pace-Tuomi, will not be kicking things off as usual.
Last fall, Pace-Tuomi retired from the role after more than 15 years of serving off-and-on as the city producer. When he stepped down, many worried that 48 Hour would fade away without Pace-Tuomi’s leadership. As longstanding partners and supporters of the local film community, the folks at Fleur Cinema & Café were not going to let that happen.
With no clear successor in sight, Chris Kottman stepped up to the plate. Kottman is the assistant booker and events coordinator for Fridley Theatres, which operates the Fleur Cinema in Des Moines. He said making sure that the project carried on was his main priority.
“Last year, Sam really went out with a bang and kind of blew it all out. And this year, it’s probably going to be a little more low-key. And we’ll see where it goes from here,” Kottman said. “I would say this year is going to be a year of making sure it occurs and keeping the status quo as much as we can and continuing what Sam built, because he really put something good together.”
Each year, around 30 teams participate in the competition. The weekend-long challenge to create a short film in just 48 hours kicks off Friday night at the Fleur Cinema. Teams will gather to receive the guidelines for the challenge and soon after be off to the races.
For Kottman, getting all the teams together year after year is what it’s all about. It’s why he wasn’t going to let the tradition come to an end.
“We didn’t want to have all the Des Moines filmmakers that enjoy their time doing the 48 Hour Film Project lose that,” he said.
Kottman said he’s not alone in making sure that 48 Hour had a home in Des Moines. Producers at the national level have stepped in to help promote the event, and staff at the theater have also played a big part.
“The [local] 48 Hour Film Project started at the Fleur, and I think a lot of the history of 48 is tied to the Fleur in Des Moines,” Kottman said. “I think it’s a great home for it, and we will continue to host it and do as much for it as we can for as long as we can.”
Teams competing in this weekend’s event have until Sunday at 7:30 p.m. to turn in their projects. Fleur Cinema will screen the films in four groups Aug. 6-7 and again Aug. 11-14.
Applications for the Des Moines city producer are currently being accepted by the national 48 Hour Film Project. As for the future of the horror genre version of 48 Hour, held in the fall, Kottman said the details are still up in the air.
