The Department of Theatre, Cinema and Dance and Above the Line present the fourth annual 48-Hour Film Festival, open to anyone with a passion for filmmaking. Teams will create short films March 4-6 with a festival screening and awards ceremony at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, at the Paradox Theatre in downtown St. Joseph. Teams must register by 11:59 p.m. Monday, Feb. 29. Registration forms are available at www.missouriwestern.edu/theatrecinema/48hour.

The film competition energizes the filmmaking process and challenges filmmakers to put their visions into action within a short time frame. The result is a whirlwind weekend of filmmaking with the satisfaction of a finished product at the end. The competition is open to all area high school and university students and the local community.

The filmmaking weekend will start with a kick-off meeting at 5 p.m. Friday, March 4 in Spratt Hall, room 205. Each team will randomly select a genre for their project. Organizers will also announce a prop, line of dialogue and a character that must be included in each film. All writing, shooting, editing and adding a musical soundtrack must occur within the 48-hour window from 6 p.m. March 4 through 6 p.m. March 6.

During the red carpet awards ceremony and screening at the Paradox Theatre on March 10, prizes will be awarded to the top two teams selected by the panel of judges as well as an audience choice award. The ceremony is open to the public.

For more information, go the website or contact Alex Willemin, assistant professor of cinema, at awillemin@missouriwestern.edu or 816-271-4296.

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.