The most popular underground film contest in Hawaii "Showdown in Chinatown" is poised to start its season of challenges Saturday with a huge new venue that should allow organizers to pack the house without having to seat people with a shoehorn.
By moving to the 85,556-square-foot Wade Warehouse, "Showdown" will have a space almost 2 acres that is vastly superior to the one it used last year to host its bimonthly film challenges, said producer Cyrina Hadad. It will have better sound, more elbow room and a real screen instead of a painted wooden one that had to be assembled for each event, she said.
Its new home will keep "Showdown" in Kakaako, where it moved last year after its Chinatown venue, the bar NextDoor, shut down. The film challenge used the Lana Lane Studios on Auahi Street for its 2013 season.
Hadad has a lot of grand visions about the new location and its ability to inspire networking among artists, but for the moment, the best part about the Cooke Street warehouse is the seating. And why not?
At Lana Lane there was room for just 35 seats inside and 200 more outside in the lane, where Hadad set up a second screen for the championship night in November. It was a large space but not completely empty, and that posed problems.
When "Showdown" was in Chinatown, NextDoor could accommodate 45 chairs, but there were often 150 people standing. "People were too squished," Hadad said. "They couldn’t cheer or move too much."
For her Wade Warehouse debut, Hadad has rented 200 chairs but thinks she might be able to fit 300.
"Showdown" started eight years ago with a concept it still embraces. It gives filmmakers 48 hours to write, shoot and edit a short film of about seven minutes. Participants are given a topic, two props and a line of dialogue they have to use in their film.
The top 12 entries are screened and judged at the bimonthly events. Prizes are awarded.
The challenges routinely attract aspiring actors and filmmakers as well as complete novices who nurture a dream of making movies.
Leaving the bar scene has been a goal of "Showdown," Hadad said.
"I think people lost focus on the films," she said. "The later it got, the louder it got, and they paid less attention to the films."
Ryan Richardson, the digital content director for "Showdown" and a former challenge competitor, said the bar crowd was not always appreciative of the filmmakers.
"These people are pouring their heart and soul into their films, and showing them to the world is a very vulnerable experience," he said.
Good sound, and not just the absence of background noise, is critical to the success of any venue, Richardson said. He’s optimistic about Wade Warehouse but said he’s picky, too.
"I’m very demanding," he said.
Filmmaker Ashley Weismantel, whose crew of moviemakers has won at "Showdown," says the desire for a new venue has come up often among her friends.
"We spend money and time and energy to put together a film," said the 26-year-old Weismantel, who acts in as well as produces films.
"These films are our passion. You want everyone to feel that when they see our films. You want them to experience our passion."
The 2014 "Showdown in Chinatown" challenges start this week. Organizers will announce the topic and other rules at 5 p.m. Wednesday at www.showdowninchinatown.com. They’ll screen the finalists Saturday at Wade Warehouse, 449 Cooke St. The doors open at 7 p.m., and a $10 donation is usually requested.
And that’s a wrap…
Mike Gordon is the Star-Advertiser’s film and television writer. Read his Outtakes Online blog at honolulupulse.com. Reach him at 529-4803 or email mgordon@staradvertiser.com.
