By CHRIS SULLIVAN
KIRO Radio

What started out as a way to promote Renton and generate good publicity and business, has turned into an annual film festival.

The Renton FilmFrenzy is back for a third year. Registration for the event opened this week.

"I can't think of a place further from the Hollywood mindset than Renton, Washington," said Mynorthwest.com movie critic Tom Tangney.

That hasn't stopped people from taking the Renton challenge. The entire movie has to be written, shot and produced in Renton - all in 50 hours.

FilmFrenzy organizers throw a few curveballs too, before the clock starts ticking, they give participants three elements that need to be in the film, like a line of dialogue or a place to shoot.

"It was fun," said Matt Johnson, the producer of "Joe and Eddie Go to Ikea," that finished 3rd last year. "It's a big challenge. It's a pain in the butt for two days to work non-stop, but it's cool when you're done with it and you see what you've done."

Aspiring filmmakers have used the festival to practice their craft. A then 12-year old Nathan Stoltzfus helped produced the "Renton Rap" that won 1st place in the kids division last year.

"My friend was like 'let's do a rap,' and we thought that would be really cool and original," Stoltzfus said.

Organizer Susanne Dale Estey knows her festival will never be S.I.F.F or Sundance, but she says she's happy with how the event has grown.

You might also be interested in:

• Renton FilmFrenzy official website