Would-be filmmakers in Federal Way might want to start flexing their creative muscles. The 72-Hour Film Competition is coming up in May, and it promises to test endurance and time-management skills, as well as narrative talent and shooting prowess.

Created by the artistic and managing directors of the Grand Cinema in downtown Tacoma, one of nation's few non-profit independent cinemas, the first 72-Hour was held last November. It proved so popular that the organizers are holding the competition again the weekend of May 18-21, 2006.

In November, over 40 entrants, divided into 11 teams, met the challenge, hailing from places such as Puyallup, Auburn, and Olympia. Although Federal Way was not represented at the first event, Erik Hanberg, the Grand's managing director, hopes that as word spreads about the competition, it will attract participants from around the South Sound and beyond.

"It's a good excuse to make a movie, and many aspiring filmmakers need a reason to get going," said Hanberg.

At 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, contestants, whether working as individuals or a team, will meet at the Grand Cinema to be given "their assignment." This will be some sort of line, prop or geographic location the filmmakers must incorporate into a five-minute film, thus assuring the film is made entirely during the 72-hour period and not beforehand.

Then they are off, using whatever locations, actors, soundtracks and equipment at their disposal. The contestants meet back at the Grand at 10:00 p.m. Sunday night with their completed shorts on a DVD or VHS.

One of the sponsors of the event, Nfi Models & Talents in Lynnwood, supplies a list of their clients willing to be available on-call that weekend, in case contestants are short on photogenic friends and family members.

Last year, participants learned at the start that they were to include the line "I have the feeling someone's deceiving us," and a shot of a Tacoma bridge somewhere in their story.

This time the requirements will change, although the creative freedom the filmmakers can exhibit will not. The resulting short film must not be longer than five minutes, but during, anything goes, within an art-house cinematic sensibility.

"We want entrants to make the film they want to make," Hanberg explained. "Having said that, we suggested last year that excessive violence, nudity or profanity really stands out in a five minute film, and most likely will detract from the quality of the narrative. The whole point of this competition is to get the work of local filmmakers in front of the public. If their film is appropriate for most ages, more people will see it,"

The teams racing to create a finished product they could be proud of last year included students from various South Sound universities, Puyallup homemakers, and a group of 40-somethings from a weekly screenwriting class in Olympia.

At the finish line, with the submitted films in hand, the Grand management holds a screening in front of a judging panel comprised of local luminaries and a secret "Hollywood industry professional," and then the winners are announced on Thursday, May 25, at an award ceremony and premier at the Rialto Theater, part of the Broadway Center for Performing Arts in downtown Tacoma.

Marty Campbell, owner of Buzzards CDs and Stadium Video in Tacoma, and one of the judges in November, was stunned by the entries.

"The work submitted spoke strongly of the talent pool of filmmakers in the South Sound region, the quality was amazing. I did a lot of festival judging in the late 90s, and since then the advancement in technology makes it possible for people to entirely produce their own little masterpiece," said Campbell.

Winners in the assorted categories, such as best film, best-looking film, and best use of dialog, will receive gift certificates and the chance of having their film run as an opener before the Grand's regularly scheduled showings.

The folks at the Grand modeled their competition after the popular 48-Hour Film Project (www.48hourfilm.com), an annual event started by a group of Washington D.C. filmmakers in 2001 that now takes place between March and July in most major cities around the States, as well as Paris.

For the 72-Hour Film Competition, an entry fee of $40 will secure a place at the starting line, and four tickets to the premier on March 25.

The efforts of any individuals or teams from Federal Way will be covered in an upcoming issue of the Federal Way News.

"We strive to be a resource for the South Sound, filmmaking community and give our patrons the chance to see local work," said Hanberg. He noted that residents of Federal Way hold about 5% of the Grand's memberships.

For more information, see www.grandcinema.com. Interested participants are encouraged to email the Grand at grandcinema@earthlink.net as soon as possible to put their name on an RSVP list, as there is only space for 30 teams.

In addition to getting into artistic shape for the cinematic marathon, Federal Way filmmakers might also want to start scouting locations around town.

A call to the Permit Division at Federal Way City Hall revealed that production permits are not required for small projects such as the 72-Hour Film Competition.

"In fact, our city code doesn't really have an allowance for film production, we never anticipated Federal Way would become a hotbed for cinematic culture...I remember only one thing filmed here, an independent movie filmed at a house here about 8 years ago," said Martin Nordby, the code compliance officer for the City of Federal Way.

"We just ask people use common sense; get the location property owner's permission, and be respectful of public property and the public as extras. If they want to block off streets and divert traffic flow, then yes, they must contact city hall and make arrangements in advance."