48 Hour Film Project

‘Life is like a box of…’ Genres! At the Kickoff event, each team receives two genres in a random drawing. Whether it is “Comedy or Horror” or “Musical or Mystery”, each team must ensure that their film fits into one of the genres–or a combination of both.

Genre Group #1

Classic Monster / Creature Feature

Revolves around a monstrous being — from giant beasts to legendary creatures like werewolves or mummies.

Curse / Prophecy

A character or group is doomed by a spell, ancient curse, or foretold fate.

Dream / Nightmare Horror

Blurs the line between dreams and reality — surreal, disorienting, and often psychological.

Escape Room

Characters are trapped in a confined, puzzle-filled space and must survive or escape.

Paranormal

Ghosts, spirits, and unexplained phenomena that defy the laws of nature.

Possessed Person / Thing

A human, object, or animal is taken over by a malevolent force or entity.

Psychological Horror

Centers on the mind — fear, paranoia, hallucinations, or mental breakdowns.

Midsommar
Silence of the Lambs
The Shining

Slasher / Splatter

Focuses on violent killers and gruesome deaths, often with high body counts and gore.

Supernatural

Involves otherworldly forces like demons, spirits, or unexplainable magical events.

Techno-Horror

Technology becomes a source of fear — AI, smart devices, or digital systems gone wrong.

Transformation Horror

A film about a character undergoing a disturbing physical or psychological change.

Undead

Features creatures that were once alive but now walk again — zombies, vampires, ghouls, etc.

Vampire Horror

A film about a vampire—or vampiric presence.

Voodoo / Witchcraft

Involves magic, spells, rituals, or curses, often tied to witches, shamans, or supernatural traditions.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time Horror Film

A film about someone who stumbles into a terrifying situation purely by bad timing.

Genre Group #2

Abduction

Horror focused on kidnapping or disappearance, often with psychological or alien twists.

Clown / Funhouse / Carnival / Freaks

A film set in carnivals or featuring clowns and "freaks," playing on warped entertainment and unsettling performances.

Comedy Horror

Horror that blends scares with humor, often parodying or subverting genre tropes.

Demonic Pact

Horror involving deals with dark forces that come at a terrifying cost.

Eco-Horror

Nature turns deadly — animals, plants, or the environment itself lash out at humanity.

Found Footage

In which all or a substantial part of the work is presented as if it were discovered film or video recordings. The events on screen are typically seen through the camera of one or more of the characters involved, often accompanied by their real-time, off-camera commentary.

Insect / Parasite Horror

Horror where bugs or parasites invade bodies or environments, often triggering disgust and dread.

Musical Horror

Parental Horror

Horror that explores fears around parenthood, children, or family dynamics.

Post-Apocolyptic

Horror set after societal collapse, where survival is haunted by monsters, madness, or ruin.

Revenge Horror

Horror driven by vengeance, where payback turns violent or supernatural.

Genre Drawing