Although the format of the 48-Hour Film Contest required submissions to include at least five of eight given elements (such as a specific line of dialogue), the five entrants achieved very different results, producing successful films in five distinct genres. "Waiting for Pierre," by improv comedy group TBA, opened the screening with Chase Shutak '08, Amy Marsh '08 and Steve Robinson '11 spending most of seven minutes hollering and flailing, Monty Python-style, through Sachar Woods. The romp is provoked by the disappearance of their would-be study buddy (David Ronn '11), resulting in a pursuit that also enlists an incompetent detective (Rebecca Blomberg '11). The actors at times resort to a do-it-'til-it's-funny mentality, but their extensive mugging for the camera usually elicits a laugh. Where "Waiting for Pierre" measure comedy by volume, "Chest!" by Elizabeth Baessler '11, Vanessa Kerr '11 and Zachary Rosen '11, has an understated sense of humor. A silent parody of fantasy quest films, "Chest!" depicts several people hunting for an unspecified treasure. In a creative twist, the filmmakers incorporated the contest-prescribed character named Pierre Debonair as a Facebook friend who requests that one character "join the quest" for the title object.Works In Progress submitted "A Complicated Mystery," about a girl on a mission to find out where babies come from. The film is ambitious in terms of story arc and character nuance, as the main character unwittingly exposes the fears, regrets and desires of her father, sister and brother, respectively. "There Will Be Breakfast (And Blood)" by Samuel Zelitch '09 and Avram Mlotek '09 is an avant-garde riff on Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." The film covers a dispute between two friends over a cup of coffee, an argument that results in the murder and resurrection of one friend. It takes too long to get from setup to satisfying punchline, but the movie's insufficiently pared middle is graced with standout photography.

Concluding the program was "Number Forty Seven," a noirish tale of assassins gone astray by Yale Spector '11 and Jamie Fleishman '11. It's hard to tell from the script whether the filmmakers want to pastiche or parody film noir, but this tonal uncertainty is balanced with a strong visual recreation of the genre. The filmmakers deserve especially high praise for their aesthetically appealing shots of the always-ugly loading dock below Usdan.

There were only 20 people in attendance at the screening, but the movies were met with audience approval. Watching the films, "I realized how much talent Brandeis has that you don't see walking around campus. ... It's surprising, but inspiring as well." Amy Thompson '11 said.

"Waiting for Pierre," "Number Fortyseven," and "Chest!" are available on YouTube.