48hr short film competition

Slides from the Info Sessions
How-to guides
FAQ’s section

Info

  • 1. START HERE!

  • 2. What is a 48hr short film competition?

  • 3. When is the competition?

  • 4. When is the Screening & Awards Night?

  • 5. How does it work?

  • 6. Who is in a team?

  • 7. Who else is in a team?

  • 8. How much does it cost to register?

  • 9. What about just the awards night?

  • 10. How does the competition run?

  • 11. When do we get the elements?

  • 12. What are the elements?

  • 13. What does the 48hrs look like? Friday

  • 14. What does the 48hrs look like? Sat & Sun

  • 15. Things to remember

  • 16. I've never done it before!

  • 17. I don't know anyone!

  • 18. Summary of basic rules

  • 19. A few more basic rules

  • 20. Intimacy Coordinator

  • 21. What help is available?

  • 22. More info

  • 23. What now?

How-To Guides

How to make a 48hr film safely
(Hint: work as a team!)

How to work with Directors
(A guide for Actors)

What to expect on a 48hr short film set
A guide for Cast and Crew

How to contact us
A guide for all the cast and crew

How to make it SOUND good
A guide for the sound crew

How to work with Actors
(A guide for Directors)

FAQ’s

  • The competition is open to Tasmanian residents aged 16 and over.

  • Absolutely! We can help you join or form a team, or if you want to you can be a one-person team and do it all yourself

  • Not at all. We have teams taking part all over the state. The launch of the competition is done both in person and online, so you can join in from anywhere; all the information is on our website; the films get uploaded to Google Drive, and then the Screening and Awards night will be held in both Hobart and Launceston

  • Yes you can. We don’t charge actors to take part in the competition, however you will need to complete a volunteer cast release (which will be available on our website shortly before the competition begins, and the Producer will make sure you complete it).
    If you want to watch the films at the awards night, you will need to get yourself a ticket for that. Just head to the awards night event on our calendar - https://www.appleboxstudiotas.com.au/all-events#!event/2026/7/18/2026-screening-awards-night and purchase it directly.

  • The films are not being judged on the equipment used to shoot or edit them, but on the creativity and storytelling. You can use whatever equipment you have available to you, which for many teams is a smartphone and free editing software.

    If you are looking for free tools to use, here are a few good ones:

    Script - Fade In or Celtx

    Phone apps for camera - Filmic Pro, Mavis, or Movie Pro

    Editing - daVinci Resolve or iMovie.

    We do not recommend using CapCut due to the privacy and copyright risks

  • There are prizes, awards, and certificates for each of the six categories:

    • Best Sound

    • Best Script

    • Best Performance

    • Best Film

    • Most Creative Use of Elements

    • Audience Choice

  • All the teams have the same theme, but they have their own unique elements

  • The theme will be announced at the start of the competition. The elements will be a prop, a line of dialogue and a character trait, and each team will find out their elements at the start of the competition

  • The 48hr short film competition runs from 6pm on Friday 10 July to 6pm on Sunday 12 July.
    The Screening & Awards Night is on Saturday 18 July

  • Your film can be any genre you like, as long as it does not contain anything obscene or pornographic, is not discriminatory towards anyone, and if classified would not receive a rating above MA15+.
    Drama is the most common genre, followed by comedy and psychological thrillers.

  • If you or one of your team is sick for the entire weekend, you can reach out to Emma for a refund of the competition portion of your ticket.

    If you are also unable to attend the awards night event, you may be eligible for a full refund, depending on when you let us know. For clarification, email Emma on emma@appleboxstudiotas.com.au