How long does it take to make a film? Weeks? Months? Years? What happens when you have 36 hours?

That’s the challenge for students from the School of Media, Arts and Humanities, as the annual MFM 36 Hour Film Challenges returns to the University of Sussex for yet another year.

Taking place between 18 - 19 November 2023, the 36 Hour Film Challenge provides the opportunity for students to showcase their talents in a fast-paced filmmaking challenge. The competition will see up to 150 students from practice courses within the School participate.

Working in teams of up to ten people, the students will plan, shoot, and edit a compelling four-minute film – all within a 36-hour timeframe. The teams will be given a random prop, random location, and mystery parameter that they will have to include in the creation of their film. They will also be provided with all the necessary equipment to produce a film by the School’s media stores.

The challenge aims to test the limits of creativity, encouraging students to think outside of the box and reconsider what they know about filmmaking. Tom Chester, one of the winners from the 2019 36 Hour Film Challenge said, ‘The challenge proved to be exactly what it says on the tin - a challenge! Nevertheless, it was a fantastic experience and we were able to push our creativity, push ourselves physically and engage with so many other fantastic filmmakers.’ 

Once submitted, the films will be screened the following day (Sunday 19 November) as part of the Cinecity Film Festival taking place at the Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts. The Cinecity Film Festival is open to the public and offers the chance for the students to showcase their work and network with a range of industry professionals.

The stakes are high, with £500 awaiting the team in first place with the best film, followed by a second place prize of £300 and a third place prize of £100. The judging panel has yet to be confirmed, though previous years have seen the University of Sussex Vice-Chancellor, Creative Director of ACCA and Dean of the School of Media, Arts and Humanities sit on the panel.

For those interested in taking part, the School will be hosting a briefing session prior to the challenge on 7 November 2023, 1pm – 2pm in Jubilee Building (JUB-115). The briefing will give students the space to learn more about the challenge, meet one another, and begin forming their filmmaking teams.

Teams will be asked to register online in the lead-up to the event, on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration is free, with more details to follow shortly.