Providence has a rich tapestry of the arts embedded onto its sidewalks. This is reflected in our wide selection of live theater, art galleries and local music scene. It’s even evident in publications like this, that serve to shed the spotlight on underappreciated and otherwise unknown artists active in all media and genres. Flipping through this very issue, you can sense it in the pulpy pages: the ink residue that it leaves on your fingertips should be proof enough that this city is alive with vibrant ideas and artistic souls. For this Woman’s History Month, I wanted to give credit where credit is due to a normally under-the-radar creative who has been subtly shifting the landscape of the local filmmaking scene here for years. Mel Rainsberger is the head of the 48 Hour Film Festival, Providence chapter and I’ll let her explain just what that means to the local arts scene. Before that, I just want to thank Katelyn Booth of the MET High School for putting my son in touch with her before all of this. Mel has served as an invaluable mentor to countless inner city youth in her time and has certainly inspired many, whether she acknowledges it or not. In the same token, Katelyn has been a remarkable teacher in a field that is often overlooked and thankless.
Richard T. Laliberte: Tell our readers about yourself and what brought you to the arts.
Mel Rainsberger: Something everyone should know about me is that I’ve been to way too much art school. Most folks pick up the arts in high school or maybe college, but I started in middle school. Coming from Miami, FL, I was able to enroll in a magnet school in seventh grade and went to an intense, all-arts high school called New World School of the Arts. Originally, I thought I would go into woodworking, but by college, I realized I was far too accident-prone to work with power tools. So in college I switched to filmmaking and animation because I loved the rich, multidisciplinary possibilities of filmmaking. All those opportunities have given me an appreciation for the arts and I want to make sure everyone else has the opportunity to try out filmmaking and play in this wonderful sandbox.
RTL: What is the 48 Hour Film Project and what makes it unique?
MR: The 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) is a twenty-five-year-old international film festival, and we’ve been running it in Providence for nineteen years. Besides being very fun, it levels the playing field so professionals and newbies compete side by side. Every team uses the same prop, character, and line of dialog and has forty-eight hours to make a short film. The variety of genres and approaches is always delightful. Seeing so many great films from around our community is a special moment that I treasure every year.
This unique event also balances the rules and requirements to give anyone a chance to see their film on the big screen. Even if you’re a novice, there’s a chance your film could go onto Filmapalooza to compete against the other 110 cities doing the 48HFP. The winner of Filmapalooza screens at the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival in France. In 2022 the best film came from Jacksonville, FL! This competition isn’t only for the big guys.
RTL: What past, present, and future plans are in the works for the festival?
MR: This year is our 19th year, so of course I’m working on a lot of plans for 2020. My biggest goal has been making an archive of all the years we’ve been operating. The Providence 48HFP has had a few different producers over this year, and we don’t have a copy of all our films. Check out our YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@pvd48hfp) to see some of the films from the past year.
This year we’re adding two new student stipends. One stipend will be available to middle and high schoolers, and the other one for college students. We want to make sure that everyone has a chance to make a film and participate in the festival.
We’re also working on a monthly screening series of local short films called the Bonfire Showcase. There are so many great filmmakers in New England and we want to give them more opportunities to show their work and connect with other creatives. For this year, we hope to run a horror version of the 48HFP this year as well. That will happen in October and it’s an all-spooky genre event. All these programs will be announced via our social media channels and newsletter. Anyone who wants to connect with the festival can also email us at pvd48hfp@gmail.com.
Since next year is our 20th anniversary, expect better prizes, judges, and maybe even some puppets.
