We stopped by the Los Angeles 48 Hour Film Project for their August 2026 Festival. Specifically, for their final show and the finalists from the festival. We are not going to be reviewing all the films, but we are specifically reviewing our favorite from the festival, Mise en Place.
Just like any other review, we will breakdown our thoughts by story, acting, and overall. So let’s jump into it.
Story 10/10
Of all the films at the festival, granted they are short films of 7 minutes long, most of them did not actually really have a story. A lot of the films were skits, or non-complete linear stories without beginning, middle, or sometimes even an end. It was actually kind of shocking that most of the nominees for best films at the festival didn’t even have basic story structures.
This is where Mise en Place primarily stood out. The film centers on George, a lifetime chef who had finally accomplished his goals of creating his own restaurant. Unfortunately the Pacific Palasades Fire claims several people’s homes and his business before it was even able to open its doors.
Now suffering with the the pain of having lost his life’s dream before it could even flourish, the idea of cooking in general is tainted. In the film, however, through the love of his niece and his family who has taken him in, he is able to overcome his strife. He finds new passion, a new journey.
The tragedy set forth in this film, is one that a lot of people in Los Angeles suffered due to the fires of last year. It’s this specific theme that distinctly made this film more Los Angeles centric than most others in this Los Angeles Based 48 Hour Film Project. Some of the film projects submitted in t his festival weren’t even filmed in Los Angeles or California, but Mise en Place feels distinctly like a snapshot in the recent history of Los Angeles.
The story of this film, coupled with the amazing acting from David Garry and Riley Ryan, really cements an emotional journey that feels well earned, and while this is only a short 7-minute film, it takes you on a heartfelt unbelievable journey.
Acting 10/10
George played by David Garry, does a wonderful job taking you through the character’s personal turmoil in the film. He is able to showing how tragedy can sour someone to something they love and have cared about dearly for their whole life.
On the opposite side, Emily, played by Riley Ryan, is incredibly cute in the film and works as a great motivator and plot point to help George find new motivation, as he moves through the pain suffered from his loss.
Overall 10/10
If I was in charge the 48 Hour Film Project, I would have not only given this film the award for Cinematography, as the film looks of a quality that you would see from any major studio, but also would have given it best writing, best acting, and best directing. That’s how much I stand by the quality of this film, and how much I feel that this film stood above the competition.
Conner’s Final Thoughts
My only critisisms, or changes, that I would make in this film, is that I might add an additional trauma to the main character’s plight. The loss of a loved one or a friend in the fire, trying to save the building. Specifically, because a lot of people lost a lot more than just their business and additional sorror would really help accentuate his trauma and give him a bigger hurdle to overcome.
That being said, I can see this being fleshed out and turned into a much longer short film or even a full feature film.
Facebook Comments