It takes Ryan Rapsys four minutes and 58 seconds -- two seconds shy of the limit -- to effectively satirize an MTV reality program in his submission for the Play Ground's Short Shorts Film Festival.
"Nina's New BFF" is a play on "Paris Hilton's New BFF," and is one of 20 films that will be featured in the fourth annual film festival that starts at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Play Ground, 11 E. Superior St.
The lonely Nina is played by Rapsys' fiancé, Christine Latvala, who performs weeping confessionals from a leopard-skin couch.
Other films for this year's contest came from all over the continent, including New York, California, Georgia and Canada. The audience votes for the top three videos, which win cash prizes.
This is Rapsys' third entry in the local film festival -- and his first shot at a comedy narrative. In previous years he has done a music video and a documentary.
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Rapsys said the audience can expect a variety of genres on Saturday:
"I think the ones that are most memorable are the short documentaries," he said. "There have been a few that were pretty funny. Music videos, short narrative films. The one thing I like is that it's quite a range. Sometimes there is stuff that isn't everyone's taste. Because they're under five minutes, it's not so bad."
Tickets for the film festival are $5, and the doors open at 6 p.m.
Rapsys plans to get there early this year. One year he missed the show because tickets were sold out.
