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THE UCSC 48-HOUR FILM COMPETITION
The UCSC Department of Film and Digital Media is excited to announce Slug 48, our third annual 48-Hour Film competition! Slug 48 was founded in 2024 thanks to the support and enthusiasm of UCSC alumnus Kevin Nolting, former editor at Pixar Animation Studios, where he edited the Academy Award-winning films Up!, Inside Out and Soul.
With the third annual Slug 48 competition in 2026, the event now benefits from the generous support of Harry Chotiner, whose gift sponsors the Ron Yerxa Award for Best Film, in honor of his friend and fellow Banana Slug Ron Yerxa. Harry Chotiner’s support will also ensure the future success of the competition.
Read more about the founder and supporters.
What is a 48-Hour Film?
A 48-hour film is one that is written, shot, edited, and all music composed for within a 48-hour time period. Teams and strategies for filming may be formed ahead of time, but nothing can be written and no footage for the film can be shot until the clock is ticking. We will be handing out parameters on Friday April 24 at 5 pm with certain details (a theme, a prop, a line of dialogue) that must be in the film to ensure nothing was shot ahead of time. You will then have until Sunday April 26 at 5 pm to submit your finished film. Your finished film should be 4min or less in running time!
Competition and Awards
All those who complete their films within 48 hours and upload them to the competition portal are automatically considered for our awards. Our Slug 48 Awards Ceremony will be held on Wednesday April 29 at 7:00pm in Kresge 3105. Bring your friends! Films will be judged by a panel of celebrity judges chaired by our founder, Kevin Nolting.
After the Awards ceremony, come downstairs for a reception in Kresge 1202. Don’t miss our Awards Night!
✦Important Dates
Monday, April 6: Applications open
Friday, April 24: 5pm: Film theme details are released: gather at 4.30pm
Friday, April 24 - Sunday, April 26: Filming takes place. Deadline for upload 5pm on April 26
Wednesday, April 29, 7:00pm: Screening + Awards Night
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