"46 Miles" is a Great Short Film You Can See Free Online

The cast and crew of "46 Miles" made the short over a weekend--yet it was good enough to be shown at the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival, and it's the most quotable 48-hour film ever made. Don't miss it.

The film was an entry in the Denver 48 Hour Film Contest in 2010. In the contest the filmmakers put together the whole film, from original story to finished product, including music and editing, in a 48 period over one weekend. The result is astonishing.

At the beginning of the contest, the filmmakers pulled a genre from a hat and found they had to make a Road Movie. The rules also stipulated they had have a character named "Sherman Woods," a lamp for a prop, and a specific line of dialogue, "He told me not to tell anyone."

"I'm a machete kind of guy."

At the end of 48 hours, the finished product the team presented to the judges was a road movie/buddy picture/hitchhiker horror comedy. The theme music has a dynamic highway sound. The camerawork is excellent. I expected to see flaws in the editing, but I didn't notice any.

"I'm an artist"

The number of twists and turns is amazing. I found myself sympathizing with the bad guys. The acting is excellent, and the script gives the actors plenty to do. Exposition is nearly zero. Tod Debreceni did the make up, which is surprisingly good and adds to the story.

The two principal actors, Jordan Leigh and Chris Grundy were perfect and performed without mis-step. Leigh shows us how much an actor can do with a pause. Grundy surprises us with glee and a wink.

"What's Your type?"

If I were in the MPAA, I'd give this movie a PG-13 for language and some simulated violence. Moreover, it's a tongue-in-cheek film that may not appeal to persons who have trouble with irony.

"Hang on. Buckle up. It's a fun ride."

This film took the honors in the Denver 48 Hour contest: Best Writing, Best Acting, and Best Film. In the International 48 Hour Contest it was first runner up. It won the Best Writing award in the international contest.

"46 Miles." Dir. by Brad Stabio. Denver: Cinema Geeks, 2010.

I found the information about this film on the Vimeo page dedicated to it: http://vimeo.com/groups/48hour/videos/13811479.   The film is also on YouTube.

A version of this article appeared on Triond's Cinemaroll website: http://cinemaroll.com/cinemarolling/46-miles-is-a-great-short-film-you-can-see-free-online/.