The 48 Hour Film Project, the world’s largest timed filmmaking competition, will go to Cape Town for the first time on the weekend of 26 to 28 October. Registration is open now for the competition, which challenges filmmakers to complete the entire filmmaking process – from writing and casting, to shooting and editing – in only 48 hours.
This year Cape Town will join Johannesburg as one of the record 120 cities worldwide to be included in the 48 Hour Film Project’s expanded 2012 tour. In 2011, nearly 60,000 filmmakers made 4,000 films in 96 cities on 6 continents.
Cape Town filmmakers will join more than 35,000 people expected to take part in the competition, relying on inspiration, adrenaline, and gallons of coffee to complete short films of up to seven minutes in only two sleepless days.
Participating teams will be given a genre, a character, a prop, and a line of dialogue that they must work into their piece just before the start of the 48 hours. They will be responsible for putting together a cast and crew, and getting equipment and anything else needed to make a film/video. Films submitted even one minute late will be disqualified.
Films will be screened for the public at the Labia Theatre, where the audience will select the city’s best film. The winners will then be in the running for top honours at Filmapalooza, the 48 Hour Film Project’s annual awards event honouring the year’s top films, which will take place in Los Angeles in 2013. Films will also compete to be among 14 films to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner in 2013.
The tight deadline may seem like an obstacle, but ultimately it places the emphasis on creativity and teamwork, and gooses participants into making their films rather than just talking about them. More importantly, it breaks down barriers by allowing anyone with a free weekend, a video camera, and boundless creative energy to experience the fun, exhilaration, and satisfaction of producing a fully-realized film.
For more information on how to participate in the competition please visit: www.48hourfilm.com/capetown
