Register a team by Monday, June 1st, 2026The deadline to register a team has been extended to Friday, June 5th 2026
Team Entry Fee: $30.00
Challenge begins:
Friday, June 5, 2026 @ 7PM
Guelph Civic Museum — 52 Norfolk St, Guelph, ON
Challenge ends:
Sunday, June 7, 2026 @ 8PM
Ed Video — 46 Essex Street, Guelph ON
The 48 Hour Film Challenge is a creative competition where participants race to complete a short film in only 48 hours. This June, gather some friends, grab a camera, and sign up for Ed Video’s 48 Hour Film Challenge—sponsored by the Guelph Civic Museum and the Bookshelf Cinema!
The Challenge will kick off at the Guelph Civic Museum on Friday, June 5th, 2026, where all registered teams will assemble. There, each team will be given a series of prompts, including a line of dialogue, a location, and a prop, all of which MUST be incorporated into each film in some way. The Challenge ends at 8pm on Sunday, June 7th, at Ed Video, where all completed films must be handed in by a team member on a physical medium (i.e. USB stick).
UPDATE: Ed Video Producer Members that are participating will receive a 15% discount for any equipment rented for the challenge. Please email rentals@edvideo.org for any inquiries and to book equipment.
Films created for the Challenge will be showcased during a public screening event on Sunday, June 14th from 4-6:30PM at the Bookshelf Cinema, where awards and prizes will be presented to the filmmakers—stay tuned for more details!
Awards will be presented in the following categories:
- Best Directing
- Best Creative Use of Prompts / props
- Best Original Score
- Best Cinematography
- Best Editing
- Best Screenplay
- Best Performance
** IMPORTANT NOTE: Any films handed in after the 8PM deadline on Sunday, June 7th will still be screened publicly on Sunday, June 14th, but will not be considered for awards or prizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who can participate in the Film Challenge?
A: The 48 Hour Film Challenge is open to all—from hobbyists to seasoned professionals, young and old. Anyone can participate!
Q: How much is the registration fee? Is it per person or per team?
A: The registration fee is $30.00 per team.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of people on a team?
A: No. Teams can be as small as a single person!
Q: How many teams can participate in the Challenge?
A: A total of 10 teams may enter. Enter early to avoid any future disappointment!
Q: How long can the films be? Does that duration include credits?
A: With credits included, films may be as short as 4 minutes and no longer than 8 minutes
Q: Are stock footage and photos allowed?
A: No. The idea behind this challenge is that the teams create everything within the 48 hours of the challenge.
Q: Can I use AI?
A: In accordance with Ed Video’s policy on the use of generative AI, and in the spirit of celebrating the human accomplishment that is filmmaking, we will NOT permit the use of generative AI.
Q: Can music be used in films?
A: Teams are permitted to use copyright-free music. There is an award for Best Original Score, so do keep that in mind 😀
Q: Do the films need to adhere to any content restrictions?
A: All films and teams must abide by Ed Video’s Code of Conduct and Ethics. Ed Video will review all films, and any film contravening our Code of Conduct and Ethics will be disqualified and not screened.
Q: What format should my final film be?
A: We will accept H.264 or ProRes video in .mp4 or .mov containers. Please deliver the film through a USB stick, which will be returned to the team at the screening event.
Q: Who will judge the films for awards?
A: We have a jury of local filmmakers, artists, and cultural contributors which will be announced shortly.