48-hour horror film contest crowns BW student-alumni flick among bloody best

In "one of the most adrenaline-fueled challenges I've ever been a part of," BFA acting major Lucy Turner '23 and 14 other Baldwin Wallace University students and alumni created a tense short film that earned 10 nominations in Cleveland's The 48-Hour Film Horror Project.

Under Pressure

As the contest name implies, the project was completed in a two-day time frame. "At the beginning of the competition, each team is given required elements: a prop [a calendar], a line of dialogue [Do you trust me?] and a character name [Freddy or Frieda Kreske]," Turner explains. "From there, I drew our genre [Escape Room] out of a hat."

Based on those elements, the writing team cranked out a five-page script for "Boiling Point," which follows a group of strangers who have been trapped in a room together as the temperature rises. As the room and the story heat up, "the individuals are forced to come to terms with the worst thing they've ever done."

The hardest part of bringing their vision to life was shooting and editing under the extreme deadline pressure. "We got our film in with SECONDS to spare," Turner recalls. "We were all on the edge of our seats until we got the confirmation our film had made it in on time, and then we celebrated!"

Bloody bests

The group had reason to celebrate again when the judges chose "Boiling Point" (among 17 competing films) for 10 award nominations, including Best Film (3rd place), Best Writing, Best Use of Prop (winner), Bloodiest Film, Best Ensemble Acting, Best Actress and Best Villain for Ruah Uhlman '24, Best Actor for JT Lee-Price '25, Best Supporting Actor for Adam Bash '23 and Best Supporting actress for Turner.

"It was a feat just getting the film in on time, so learning about the nominations left everyone stunned," Turner says. "We couldn't believe it."

In truth, Turner says the group of acting majors felt confident about their on-screen performances. "The most gratifying nomination has to be best film," Turner reflects. "To know that all of these elements came together to make a cohesive and intriguing product has to be the biggest accomplishment."

Crowned a top three film, "Boiling Point" now moves on to be screened at Cleveland Horror Fest next year. The group also took home a special award given by the producer of the festival: "Best Kill."

United in horror

A horror film fan, Turner, who's been involved in acting since she was 8-years-old, jumped at the chance to put a team together when she saw Cleveland's 48-Hour project advertised, drawing on a circle of recent BW theatre grads and current classmates.

"I'm still incredibly grateful they all dropped what they were doing for the entire weekend to help me put bloody fingerprints on paper or hold a boom mic for 17 hours."

Creating opportunities

The experience also has helped broaden Turner's view of her future involvement in filmmaking.

"For the last couple years, I've imagined myself starting my own production company in the future. Luckily, the film festival came along, and I got to call myself a producer much earlier than I could have ever anticipated," Turner says, adding that Cleveland is full of opportunities for aspiring creators.

"As an actor, there is no such thing as consistent work. Shows end, and auditions don't fall into your lap. It's all about your work ethic," she notes. "It's up to you to find opportunities that will help you stand out in the future."