Anyone can make a movie, but can they do it in two days? That is the challenge of the Wis-Kino Kabaret, a two-day filmmaking bonanza in which local artists come together to crank out five-minute movies.
This weekend, film teams raced all over the county in a mad dash to get shots and scenes. With its emphasis on brevity, Kabaret pushes these filmmakers, according to its website, to do well with nothing, do even better with a little and - most importantly - to do it right now!""
Given 48 hours to make a film, Kabaret teams must quickly decide what to write, where to shoot and what the actors should wear - all at the mercy of the weather.
""It's a wonderful experience because everything is extemporaneous right from the beginning,"" UW graduate student and Wis-Kino actor Amit J. Nimunkar said, ""Everything is so random, it adds to the whole thrill of the event.""
The artists assembled at the Sundance Cinema on Friday night, prepared for the whirlwind film adventure. There they picked up their ""secret ingredients"" that must be somehow integrated into their movie. Veteran participant Kate George explained that ""at the end of the day, the aim is for people to go out and actually make something."" She went on to note that ""it's like a game or a challenge ... [but] there's absolutely no competition,"" George said, later adding that ""the goal is to just encourage people to get up and make something.""
The Kino movement started in 1998 when a group of cinematographers from Montreal decided to make a five-minute film every month until 2000. They enjoyed the project so much they decided to expand it, and soon enough an international Kino culture was born. Now there are nearly 50 official Kino societies in five different continents.
It is a family atmosphere, according to George. ""I've met some people at festivals, and six months later I'm in another country sleeping on their couch, just because I was in the neighborhood.""
George has been doing Kino for three years with no prior film training. This lack of formal training and do-it-yourself attitude is typical of the Wis-Kino experience.
""Wis-Kino tends to be a little more grassroots ... and seems to be a little more attainable to everyone,"" Wis-Kino Director Jim Kraus said.
Aside from providing an open atmosphere and a wide network of friends, Kabaret offers plenty of excitement for local filmmakers.
