Quest of the quick flicks

Hardwood Floors by Guerilla Monkeys. Photo / Supplied

After one mad weekend of filming and a couple weeks of judging, it's down to the final six. This weekend C4 will be screening the final of the V Energy 48 Hours film contest in which nearly 700 teams competed across the nation to write, shoot, cut and deliver a short film within the time limit.

The entries have been whittled down to the following nine finalists - six city winners who were picked by judges in each region and three wildcards chosen by Peter Jackson and Guillermo Del Toro.

Now all nine are being judged by a panel of 30, including festival director Ant Timpson as well as a raft of film-makers and film festival programmers from around the world.

The teams who will be sharing in the $100,000 prize pool will be announced on Saturday night.

But first here's our assessment of this year's oddball contenders ...

Hardwood Floors
TEAM: Guerilla Monkeys
(Hamilton)

A good, keen real estate agent finds one of his open homes are a portal to a parallel universe in his odd psychedelic monologue peppered with occasional violent encounters with the inhabitants of the twilight zone.

Amazing World of Sticks
TEAM: Kaiti Hill
(Gisborne, Tairawhiti)

The Life of Brian meets Grand Designs, sort of in this look at the crucifixion of Jesus and which ponders: if the cross had been made a little more ergonomic by taking out the horizontal bit, would a stick or a pole have had quite the same symbolic meaning through the ages?

Otack Otack Otack Falls
TEAM: Killer Walz/Orca
(Wellington)

Unsettling but visually strangely beautiful nightmare of a film about life in a (possibly) Scandinavian mental institution where it appears that yes, the lunatics have taken over the asylum, except for one who finds her own escape. Features a soundtrack that's a beguiling blend of synthesiser and tuba.

Nature's Baby
TEAM: Sinistral
(Auckland)

Remarkable riot of special effects about a giant baby created by his mad scientist mother. Soon after his less-than-immaculate conception and difficult birth, he goes King Kong on downtown Auckland. Good thing CBD doesn't attract many visitors on weekends or death toll would have been higher. Also manages to fit in a domestic violence subplot which references a certain high-profile recent courtcase, but that's not quite as clever as the movie's abundant DIY visual trickery.

New Fish
TEAM: TBALC
(Christchurch)

This funny prison musical about the new kid on the cellblock coming to an arrangement with his supposedly menacing cellmate is full of inspired touches and some half-decent tunes. Don't be surprised if this one ends up on the honours board.

Charlotte
TEAM: Line Men
(Dunedin)

A wee wonder of hand-drawn animation about lonely old man Ron who lives in an old Scout hall and whose neighbours seem to think he's up to no good - at first, it seems that just might be the case. But its story delivers some lovely twists in the final frames.

It's Like We're Back in Primary School
TEAM The Downlow Concept
(Auckland wildcard)

The offbeat story of one strange raining night at a primary school where the staff - and a team of indoor soccer-playing old boys - get a bit stuck in the rain. But Marty the caretaker is there, to take care. Plays like the makings of a very askew sitcom, somewhere between Summer Heights High and Flight of the Conchords and features one C4 presenter and a local comedy luminary or two among its cast.

The Revenger
TEAM: Idiot Vision
(Wildcard)

This amusingly grim black comedy is an extended infomercial for the services of "The Revenger", a guy who offers retaliation at a very reasonable price ("Don't get mad. Get Steven") through a series of imaginative packages. High production values, dry wit, and a creative sense of nastiness (including some faked animal cruelty) that's enough to induce hands-over-face squirming in its few minutes on screen.

Fanatics
TEAM: Goodfellas
(Auckland Wildcard)

Tense horror about sports talkback and and rugby fanaticism gone awry that's more gripping in its few minutes than most of this year's Super 14. Good acting and a nice local riff on movies likeThe Fan to Play to Misty for Me. Here's yet more proof how hard it is being a Blues supporter.

What: V Energy 48HOURS Grand Final
When and where: C4 TV FINAL: Jun 20, 9pm
More info: www.48hours.co.nz