The Department of Theatre, Cinema and Dance presents its third annual 48-Hour Film Challenge, open to anyone with a passion for filmmaking. Teams will create short films March 20-22 with a festival screening and awards ceremony on March 26 at the Paradox Theatre in downtown St. Joseph. There is no entry fee, but teams must register by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, March 18. Registration forms are available at www.missouriwestern.edu/theatrecinema.

“The goal of the 48-Hour Film Challenge is to promote creativity and to light a spark under future filmmakers, challenging them to put their visions into action within a short time frame,” said Dallas Henry, assistant professor of theatre and cinema and organizer of the challenge.

Teams must consist of a minimum of three individuals, with one designated as a team leader. Team members do not have to be affiliated with Missouri Western; they can be students at other universities, high school students or community members.

The challenge will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 20 in the Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall. Each team will randomly select a genre for its film, and organizers will also announce a prop, line of dialogue and a character that must be included in each film. All creativity – writing, shooting, editing and adding a musical soundtrack – must occur within the 48-hour window beginning at 6 p.m. Friday evening and ending at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 22.

The final screenings and awards will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 26 at the Paradox Theatre, 107 South 6th Street. Entries will be judged on artistic merit, technical merit and adherence to the assignment. Trophies will be presented to the Best Film Overall and Second Best Film Overall (as selected by a panel of industry professionals) as well as the Audience Choice. Awards will also be presented for Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Acting (Male and Female), Best Use of Character, Best Use of Prop, Best Use of Line and Best Sound Design.

For more information, contact Henry at 816-271-4442 or dhenry2@missouriwestern.edu. The direct link to contest rules and the registration packet is www.missouriwestern.edu/theatrecinema/48hour/.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.