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NATCHEZ — Natchez Film Company’s short film “Postal Parasites” placed third overall out of the 29 teams who registered in the 48 Hour Film Project: New Orleans.

Davis Sharp of Natchez Film Co. said to make the short film a success, “We drew from a network of independent filmmakers around the state” along with a lot of talented Natchezians. 

“Cinematographer Ryan Chernin came down from New Jersey with equipment and we’re super grateful to him,” he said. With Chernin and the equipment at the Natchez Film Company, “We were resourced to make a good-looking film,” he said.

The 48-Hour Film Project is a global event that happens in more than 100 cities on different weekends throughout the year. As the name suggests, the competing teams create a short film over one weekend to be judged by local judges of the city in which they are entered.

While the topmost prize of “Best Film” went to the production “Full Package” by The Stilettos, the Natchez Film Company team came close with third place overall and brought home eight first place awards in various categories, including Best Directing, Best Cinematography, Best Set Design, Best Make-Up, Best Writing, Best Acting Ensemble, Best Use of Character and Best Musical Score.

More than a dozen awards are given in the competition but the topmost films earn more exposure. The award-winning films were screened on Saturday, July 20, at the University of New Orleans Recital Hall.

One requirement of the 48 Hour Film Project is that it has to be made by volunteers.

Sharp thanked set dresser Will Smith, costume designers Sarah Hanson and Merisha Gore, Tuckor James with his rigging grip lights and camera stabilizers, and digital image technician Jack Dukes who are all from Natchez. From other parts of Mississippi Sharp thanked Julie Touche, a volunteer Mississippi representative for the IATSE film worker’s union, writer Daton Douglas and Julie’s son Tre Touche who operated the boom mic. 

The cast of Postal Parasites includes leads Britton Webb, Brittany Chandler and supporting actor Cotton Yancey as the mailman. 

Sharps said the production was also made possible with the help of sponsors, including the Natchez Grand Hotel which provided the lodging for out-of-town volunteers, The Little Easy which provided their breakfast and lunch and Smoot’s Grocery which provided a set for one of the short film’s scenes. 

“Special thanks to Warren Ruther and Walter Tipton at the Natchez Grand Hotel, Rosie Woods at the Little Easy and Patti White at Smoot’s,” Sharp said. “With their support, we were able to not only host a successful production but also a hospitable event.”

The team representative, Emma Houge attended the kick-off event for the 48 Hour Film Project in New Orleans on Friday, June 7, and received their competition rules, which included a required genre, character, prop, and line of dialogue. 

But the filming of the short film could take place anywhere in the country as long as it can all be finished within 48 hours and the final cut ready by Sunday night. Natchez Film Co. used the competition as an opportunity to prove that Natchez is a friendly film destination for independent filmmakers, Sharp said. 

“What we did was already be gathered with our creative department heads back in Natchez. Emma Houge is stationed in New Orleans ready to receive the required genre, prop, character and line of dialogue. She sent us a picture and we immediately started breaking everything down on a whiteboard with everyone in the group chiming in on what they could bring to the table to accomplish what we could in 48 hours.”

The genre is a dark comedy buddy film, the required prop a coffee cup — “we didn’t have to work too hard to slip that in” — and the required line of dialog was “How did you find it?” Sharp said. 

While he wasn’t a lead character, the required character — a postal worker named Jake Gatteaux — wound up being a central element of the short film. 

“Cotton Yancey played our postal worker and delivered and incredible performance outside of those houses on Madison Street that I’m excited for everyone to see,” Sharp said.

The line of dialogue was used for a climactic moment near the end of the film.

The two protagonists were in pursuit of funding to make their movie and to do so embark on the journey of stealing packages.

As with most films, pivoting from the original plan is inevitable, Sharp said.

“That’s the nature of film production.”

Daton (Douglas) came to the shoot Saturday morning “red-eyed after a night of no sleep,” from writing the script all night, Sharp said. They shot their first scene inside Smoot’s, he said, giving a shout-out to the manager Patti White for letting them inside on a brutally hot day that had the cast members “sweating bad and ruining costumes.”

Other filming locations included the block from Pearl Street to High Street, Madison Street, and Learneds Mill Road.

“We did end up pivoting so many times from what we’d written down on paper in a frenzy to get everything done in time for the daunting editing process,” Sharp said. “It wasn’t until 3:30 a.m. (Sunday) we realized we didn’t know how much length of footage we wound up with. The rough cut was a major heart drop. However, another pass over the takes and once we put music over it, we started high-fiving because we couldn’t believe how much better it turned out than what we thought.”

The competition requires a film between 5 and 8 minutes long with a bit of leeway for the opening and end credits. 

Once it was all stitched together, Sharp said Postal Parasites wound up being exactly 7 minutes and 7 seconds long completed in seven frames.

“I actually had a senior quote about seven being my favorite number,” Sharp said, but too embarrassed to recite the quote.

Natchez Film Co. is putting together a premiere date for Postal Parasites and the company’s debut short film called Arlington in the near future, he said.

“We’ve already started getting approached by multiple people. Actors and actresses who wanted to be part of a product, scriptwriters and other film producers. One of our main goals was to make Natchez a film destination and this shows we’re able. … It’s great for the Natchez film scene.”

The competition included some “great films” and provided a learning experience to the Natchez Film Company Team, Sharp said.

“The ability that some of them had to create complex stories taking place over a long period of time and showcase the passing of time in a short film was super impressive,” he said. “I learned a lot from watching more experienced teams and short films. I could see in their shorts how they built their story around logistics.”