I want to share some big news: “Screening Process” has been selected as one of the top 50 films of the 2004 National Film Challenge.

The judging’s still going on — the official “finalists” will be announced December 1 — but this is still one hell of an honor. It’s a testament to the phenomenally talented and dedicated individuals who worked their asses off to deliver the best possible picture they could. Congratulations to all of them.

Of course, we’re not resting on our laurels. The wheels are already in motion for next spring’s 48 Hour Film Project. I’m serving as an Associate Producer for another indie project shooting right now, Bystander, and I’ve already met an even larger pool of talented folks, all equally eager to join in next time. It’s nice not to be in the position of having to beg absolutely anybody to help, the only criterion being a warm body.

On the flip side, for some positions, we may end up with multiple qualified people wanting to join in. Which has me thinking, perhaps suicidally: What if Tohubohu sponsored two teams in the competition?

We’d have a shared pool of acting talent, but — except for the necessary overlap in the executive rank (i.e., me) — the top-level production teams would be established as two independent creative groups. The big question is whether my taking on an overarching role might mean I wouldn’t be able to direct one of the films... and I don’t know that I’m ready to give up that seat just yet.