Strut your style on our purple carpet, then head into The Grand | Ritz Theater in Escondido for the Best of San Diego films and the awards gala. Purple carpet / ticket check-in 5-6pm; premiere screening 6-8:30pm.
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 2026 films
premiere Monday and Tuesday, September 21-22.
The weekend of the competition begins with each team assigned a random
movie genre by chance.
Each year, all teams must also include a required character, line of dialog,
and prop. In 2026, those were:
A character name and occupation This year's was Andrea or Andre Voss, Tour Guide
A line of dialog This year's was "I won't do that again."
...or "I will not do that again."
A prop This year's was a towel
...and they only found out when the competition
started!
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.
Get Connected, Stay In The Loop!
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!
