What is the San Diego 48 Hour Film Project, and how do you enter?
Teams write, shoot and edit a short film in one weekend, then screen it in a real theater. San Diego's runs each August; 2026's kicked off Aug. 28, with registration opening in early June.
- Time limit
- 48 hours
- 2026 weekend
- Aug. 28–30
- Registration
- Early June
- Top prize path
- Filmapalooza
Write, shoot, edit, score
Kickoff Friday 7 p.m.
Opened June 8, 2026
Then Cannes Short Film Corner
The short version
- Teams get a genre, character, prop and line of dialogue at a Friday kickoff and have 48 hours to finish.
- San Diego's 2026 competition ran Aug. 28–30, with films due by 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
- Registration for 2026 opened June 8; expect a similar early-summer window for 2027.
- Screenings and the Best Of awards have been held at AMC Mission Valley 20.
- San Diego's Best Film goes to Filmapalooza (March 2027) and can screen at Cannes' Short Film Corner.
The 48 Hour Film Project started in 2001 and now runs in cities around the world. The idea is simple: no scripts written in advance. Teams find out their genre at kickoff, write and shoot over the weekend, and hand in a finished short film Sunday night. Every on-time film screens in a theater, and a jury picks the city's best.
How the San Diego weekend runs
- June
Registration opens
Team leaders sign up; mixers and open auditions follow
- Friday, 7 p.m.
Kickoff
Draw a genre; get a required character, prop and line
- Sunday, 7:30 p.m.
Drop-off
Finished film due to be on time and eligible
- September
Screenings and Best Of
All films screen; awards gala
- March
Filmapalooza
City winners compete internationally
- June
Registration opens
Team leaders sign up; mixers and open auditions follow
- Friday, 7 p.m.
Kickoff
Draw a genre; get a required character, prop and line
- Sunday, 7:30 p.m.
Drop-off
Finished film due to be on time and eligible
- September
Screenings and Best Of
All films screen; awards gala
- March
Filmapalooza
City winners compete internationally
From the San Diego 48 Hour Film Project's 2025 and 2026 schedules. Checked Nov. 8, 2026.
Who can enter
Anyone. Teams range from first-timers with a phone to working crews. A team leader registers and pays; there's no limit on team size, but everything creative must happen inside the 48 hours. The organizers run mixers at local breweries and open auditions so people without a team can find one.
Getting ready for 2027
- 01
Join the mailing list in spring
Registration prices step up as the weekend approaches, so early sign-up is cheapest.
- 02
Line up the essentials
Camera, audio, an editor and locations you can use on short notice.
- 03
Go to a mixer or audition
In 2025 auditions were at Spark Studio Soundstage in Kearny Mesa.
- 04
Practice a 48
Shoot a test short in a weekend to find your weak spots, usually sound and the edit.
Where to watch
Screenings are open to the public and are a cheap night out. The 2025 Best Of San Diego screening and awards gala was at AMC Mission Valley 20 on Sept. 28, 2025, with audience-choice, poster, trailer and acting awards. The San Diego winner advances to Filmapalooza in March 2027, and select films are shown at the Cannes Film Festival's Short Film Corner.
Into film? See our guides to 70mm IMAX in San Diego and the San Diego Asian Film Festival.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 8, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Event dates, times and prices are set by the organizers and can change or sell out. Confirm with the organizer's own page before you plan around them.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
48 Hour Film Project · 2026
Registration June 8, 2026; drop-off by 7:30 p.m. Sunday; city producers
48 Hour Film Project · 2026
Aug. 28 kickoff, Aug. 30 drop-off
48 Hour Film Project
Best Film to Filmapalooza March 2027; Cannes Short Film Corner
San Diego 48 Hour Film Project · Sept. 28, 2025
AMC Mission Valley 20; award categories
- PrimaryHome page (2025)
San Diego 48 Hour Film Project · 2025
How it works; auditions at Spark Studio Soundstage