Now in its 15th year, the national weekend competition of HP48Hours is set for August 25-27, 2017. Filmmaking teams have to write, shoot, edit and score a short film from one to five minutes duration. The intensity begins at 7pm on Friday August 25 and doesn’t let up until the final deadline at 7pm on Sunday August 27.
Filmmakers don’t know what genre (thriller/romance etc.) they will be shooting until the start of the weekend and there are several required elements. In previous years that has been a line of dialogue, a prop or a camera move. The random elements for 2017 are at present under wraps.
The focus for this year is risk-taking – Competition owner Ant Timpson is offering an additional $1000 cash prize for innovation and risk-taking. To keep people on their toes there may also be a few changes to the rules.
The appeal of the Competition is widespread: entrants include school groups, film professionals, actors and comedians as well as teams of mates looking to have a crazy weekend doing a project together. Last year, 550 teams entered in seven regions. Each region has a City Final in September, from which the best are selected to compete in the Grand Final in Auckland on November 11. A panel of international judges decides the winners, who are in line for $100k in cash & services in the prize pool.