An open audition for prospective 48 Hour Film Project actors, and teams that are casting acting talent. Auditions will be held at San Diego 48 Hour Film Project’s sponsor, Spark Studio Soundstage in Kearny Mesa. Actors of all skill levels are encouraged to try out, and all teams (or potential teams) looking to cast talent are likewise encouraged to come. Audition spots are first-come-first-served, so please arrive promptly at the start.
The 48 Hour Film Project is a creative competition fueled by
a love of filmmaking. Teams are challenged to make a movie in a
weekend, exercising mental and physical endurance, and building lifelong
friendships and professional connections along the way.
Sometimes casually and unofficially shortened as "The 48", it is the
world's longest running and most popular timed filmmaking competition. Each year
teams of all skill levels, ages and demographics, in over a hundred
cities across the globe, compete to make a short film in just two days. Amateur
and professional teams around the world make movies over a weekend, which are
later given a premier in a real theater. San Diego's competition takes
place August 15-17th, 2025.
The weekend of the competition begins with each team assigned a random
movie genre by chance.
Additionally, all teams must include in their films:
A character name and occupation
A line of dialog
A prop
...and they only find out when the competition
starts!
Completed movies are given a Hollywood-style premiere in a
real movie theater packed with attendees. The audience selects an Audience
Choice winner by voting. Then, all qualifying on-time films are considered
for film festival judging.
The best films are honored at the 48's own "Best Of San Diego" screening and
Academy Awards inspired ceremony, with many categories for recognition. The
jury-awarded best film in San Diego goes on to compete in the 48 Hour Film
Project's Filmapalooza, an international celebration and competition between
city winners. Later, select winners are shown at the Cannes Film Festival
(yes, that Cannes) Short Film Corner.
How to Participate in the San Diego 48
Could you be a Team Leader?
Never made a short film before? Or... is IMDB brimming with movies you've
made? In any case, Perfect!
You can own the title
"Director" or "Producer" if you have enough initiative. The 48 welcomes
all skill levels, and provides a fun learning experience even for
seasoned pros.
You don't need to be an experienced filmmaker
Submitted movies are given a Hollywood style premiere
screening
Every team needs a team leader to register, but teams are allowed to
split the team costs with among themselves
Early registration begins May 1 at $158 per team until July 22, then $178 for regular registration until August 5, and $198 for late registration up until start of the competition on August 15.
Are you an Actor? Get ready for your close-up!
Want to show off your skills in front of the camera? Great!
There are several ways actors of all levels of experience
can find casting, and see their talents on the big screen.
Join our newsletter to keep up to date
on coming events
Research online how to run a successful 48 Hour Film
Brainstorm and practice with your film crew and actors to make sure
you're ready to make a movie! You're not allowed to do any of the
creative work for your 48 film ahead of time, but you are allowed to
try out ideas and make sure the people and equipment are ready to go!
Don't know what you want to do?
You love film. You want to help make a movie and see it on the big
screen. The only problem is you don't know how. Actually, no
problem!
The 48 is a culture of collaboration and community, so
we're always looking to help newbies figure out how they can
participate. Many teams love to have more people even when
you're unsure of how you can help.
Share that you'd like to be involved in some way on our
Facebook group... some teams just
need a few more hands to fill out their crew.
Our mixer events are a great way to meet
teams looking for more people
Join our newsletter to keep up to date
on coming events
If all else fails, come to the kickoff event
and find a team at the last minute.
Love the 48? Want to volunteer?
Do you believe in what the 48 is all about? Want to help out local
filmmaking? Wonderful! The 48 is a community effort and we need your
help.
We're always looking for help in a number of ways:
Promote the competition and the festival (we need boots on the ground
to hang posters and distribute other promotional material)
Extra hands at events like the competition kickoff and screenings
Help with the awards ceremony
Outreach to find sponsors
If you're an experienced filmmaker, help onboard newbies
Join our newsletter to get the latest news and updates about the 48! We
announce all coming events, special promotions, and anything else 48-related
via email.
The most active online community for the San Diego 48 is our Facebook group.
If you're on Facebook, you should join it, and you should also follow our
Facebook page!
