About the 48HFP Who we are & What we do
The 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which you and a team make a movie - write, shoot, and edit - in just 48 hours. On Friday night, teams draw a genre from a hat. They are then given a character, prop and line to include in their films. On Sunday night, in a wild dash to the drop off event, the film is turned in - and teams celebrate. The film is then screened at a local theater in front of an audience of filmmakers, friends and families.
The 48HFP is the world's oldest and largest timed filmmaking competition – the granddaddy of them all. If you want the real deal, this is it. The 48HFP is all about creativity and fun. It's also about community. For years the 48HFP has been helping local creative people connect to make films. These connections go beyond filmmaking – taking part in the 48 helps people find friends, collaborators, jobs and even girlfriends & boyfriends! There are even some 48HFP married couples out there!
Genres Elements RulesLocal & International!! Around the World
The 48HFP takes local filmmaking international! We are in 130 cities around the world, on 6 continents. What does this mean to the participants? If you win your city, you have entered the international arena. Filmmakers from each winning city are invited to screen their films at Filmapalooza – our end of year event, and the filmmakers meet (and party) at this filmmaking Olympic village as they compete for the international title of Best Film.
Cities WeekendsOur History How it all got started
In 2001, way back in the days even before flash drives and 4K video, Mark Ruppert and Liz Langston were making short films. Mark came up with a crazy idea – to make a film in 48 hours! They tried it and found that it was not only possible – it was exhilarating. The big question back then was... Would films made in only 48 hours even be watchable? The answer was a resounding yes.
Now, more than 50,000 films later, the 48 Hour Film Project has become a rite of passage for filmmakers around the world.
- More than 1,400 projects have taken place around the world!
- More than 50,000 short films made!
- More than 600,000 filmmakers have taken part!
- We've had 14 special screenings at the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner!
- More than $1,000,000 USD in cash and prizes awarded to filmmakers!
- And 18 Filmapaloozas to date!
Our Mission Our goals & what we strive to do
The 48 Hour Film Project's mission is to advance filmmaking and promote filmmakers. Through its festival/competition, the Project encourages filmmakers and would-be filmmakers to get out there and make movies.
The tight deadline of 48 hours puts the focus squarely on the filmmakers—emphasizing creativity and teamwork. While the time limit places an unusual restriction on the filmmakers, it is also liberating by putting an emphasis on doing instead of talking.
Current Tour
This year, in spite of the global pandemic, the 48HFP held more than 75 filmmaking events around the world with more than 2,500 teams taking part.
Teams and Filmmakers
We've had 50,000+ teams in the Project over the years, and at 13 people per team, that translates to more than 650,000 people who have answered the call to come on out and make a movie!
Around the World
The Project has truly spread to the four corners of the globe. Filmmakers from Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas will compete to see who can make the best short film in a weekend.
One Big Experiment
The 48HFP got its start in Washington, DC as a filmmaking experiment between friends back in 2001. Who knew back then that it would grow to become a global phenomenon?!?
First Line of Dialogue
In the very first project ever, the required line was: I made you who you are, and I can just as easily break you.
Smallest Team
Our smallest team has consisted of one person who sets up the camera then runs around to be on-camera.
Our Largest Team
Our largest team to date was a team from Albuquerque with 116 people and 30 horses!
