Big Freedia Got Booties Poppin’ At PrideFest

'As the night unfolds after a chance meeting at a punk show in the 80’s, two men find more in common than music.'

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Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to make a film in 48 hours. Depending on your natural deposition this sounds hella fun or it is a trainwreck waiting to happen. But someone has to win this yearly competition and for this year it is Graham Barbour! Here is what he had to say about the experience.

R. Anthony Harris: Who are you and where are you from Graham?

Graham Barbour: I graduated from UVA in ‘21 and have spent the past year in Richmond up until last week when I moved to Brooklyn. Before that, I grew up on a farm on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

RAH: Do you have a background in film and film production?

GB: My first experience in film was in a multimedia reporting class at UVA. I was given the assignment to make a mini-doc for class and loved the challenge. I didn’t even know how to work a camera at that point, but I immediately knew this was something I wanted to pursue. I continued making documentaries, and eventually began shooting music videos and short films with my friend, Phineas.

As we were approaching graduation, I was toying with the idea of moving to LA and trying to make it in the industry there. One evening, Phineas suggested that we start a production company instead, and we ran with it. We started Sly Dog Creative last summer and have been steadily building it since then.

I try to balance running the company with freelance work on other projects, because I love learning from more experienced filmmakers while also having the creative autonomy associated with having my own business. This next year, I want to lean into freelance, which is part of the reason I moved to Brooklyn.

RAH: Have you done the 48 hour Film Project before?

GB: This is my first time doing the 48 hour Film Project, though I participated in a couple 72hr competitions at UVA.

RAH: How did you initially hear about the 48 Hour Film Project?

GB: The Virginia Production Alliance forwarded an email about the competition, and it was a great excuse to take a weekend to make something fun with my friends.

RAH: How quickly did you come up with the idea for this film?

GB: Our writers had the initial idea within the first couple hours of the competition starting, and we had our script by 3 am that night, though it continued to evolve throughout our production day.

RAH: What was it like showing your film in front of everyone? Were you feeling confident in what you did?

GB: I tend to get super critical of my work after it’s done, especially when it’s shown to a live audience, so it was nerve-racking to be in the theater for that. That being said, the audience reacted well, which was great to see.

Only having 48 hrs to make a film means accepting that not everything is going to be perfect. I think it was a great exercise in being flexible and surrendering control, and a good opportunity to make mistakes and learn on such an expedited timeline.

RAH: Now that you are the winner what are you doing next?

GB: I’m going to keep working on projects that excite me, and try to take the time to pursue more passion projects. If it works for my schedule, I’d love to come back and do the Richmond 48 hr Horror competition that was just announced. I can’t watch horror, but think it would be so much fun to make one.

For more information on Graham and his work: Sly Dog Production https://bit.ly/3QOf8yv
For more information on the 48 Hour Film Project: https://bit.ly/3PjZYQo

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Graham Francis Barbour
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Director of Photography

Geoff Castillo
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Director

Wes Parker
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Writer/ Singer

Jessica Lauren Johnson
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Production Assistant

Barrett Leon Miller II
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Assistant Director

Erik Duda
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Script Supervisor

Curtis Alexander Bailey
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Animator

David Edward Katz
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Composer

Lisa Miller
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Digital Imaging Technician

Farheena Mustafa
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Executive Producer

Cidney Cher
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Art Director

Conor McFarland
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Writer

Dietrich Teschner
Actor/Actress

Brad Chenson
Vince Kimball
Actor/Actress Wes

Zack Ackerman
Bassist

Shannon Lowe
Editor

Kerry Reichhardt
Extra

Jared Huggins
Extra

Brian Larson
Drummer

Cody Simms
Extra

Ayden Lawman
Production Assistant

Grace Donovan
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Writer

Lauryn Lynch
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Costumer

Vinny Varsalona
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Cinematographer