The 48 Hour Film Project
We are the 48 Hour Film Project Scotland – nice to meet you!
The 48 is an exciting creative weekend where filmmakers of all levels, from beginners to seasoned pros, come together to make short films. It’s part of a global event that takes place in more than 100 cities worldwide — and here in Scotland, we bring the challenge to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Inverness, the Highlands and Islands. Wherever you join us, the rules are the same: can you and your friends make a film on the fly in just 48 hours?
It all begins at the Friday night Kickoff Event, when teams gather in their city to draw genres from a hat and receive the required elements that must appear in their film. From there, it’s off to the races – writing, shooting, editing, and doing whatever it takes to finish a film and deliver it by Sunday night.
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The big payoff comes when the films hit the big screen. Every submission, whether on-time or late, is shown at a local cinema in your city. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of watching your own movie with a live audience and experiencing their reactions first-hand.
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At the City Awards Event, winning films are announced by local judges. Awards are given for everything from Best Acting to Best Directing, culminating in the top prize: Best Film.
And the journey doesn’t stop there. Each year, we send the winning filmmaker from each Scottish city to Filmapalooza — the international film festival of the 48 Hour Film Project. This festival is the most globally diverse film festival in the world, bringing together filmmakers from over 100 cities and dozens of countries. It’s a chance to attend workshops, network with filmmakers from around the globe, and celebrate film on the international stage.
In 2024, Scotland made history when Scottish team Dropshack won Grand Champion at Filmapalooza – proving that our local talent can compete at the very highest level.
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Through our long-standing partnership with the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner, a selection of top films from the 48 are also showcased each year in Cannes – an unforgettable experience for our filmmakers.
Since its start in Washington, DC in 2001, the 48 Hour Film Project has grown into a truly global community. Here in Scotland, we’re proud to be part of that movement, running events across four cities every year. Globally, over 100 cities participate annually, with more than 4,000 filmmaking teams and more than 50,000 filmmakers creating thousands of brand-new short films. To date, over 70,000 films have been made for the 48 Hour Film Project.
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Are you ready to take on the challenge? Join us in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, or Inverness, the Highlands and Islands and make your film in just one wild, unforgettable weekend!
