Time Tested

On a summer weekend for each of the past 10 years, Northeast Ohio filmmakers have risen to the 48 Hour Film Project’s challenge: to write, shoot and edit a short film in 48 hours.

Through the competition, Kent State alumni and students from the digital media production major (formerly known as electronic media production) have made their talents known in a big way, as they’ve bonded over creative work.

“It’s a unique challenge in that you don’t know what you’re going to make going into the weekend, but within 48 hours, you’ll have a completely finished film,” said Dustin Lee, ’07, who was part of the teams that earned “Best Film,” the top prize in the competition, for two consecutive years, in both 2015 and 2016.

At the start of the weekend, representatives from each team – nearly 40 of them participated in Cleveland in 2017 – meet to receive three elements that must be included in each finished product: a character, a line of dialogue and a prop. Each team then selects a genre at random and goes on to produce a four- to seven-minute film that meets that criteria over the course of 48 hours (Friday to Sunday). All films screen at a local theater, and in addition to the top prize, teams are awarded for best directing, best acting, best writing, etc. 

Watch JMC Alumni's Award-Winning Work

2016 Best Film Winner - "A Quiet House"

Produced by Family 13 Productions (Robbie Puzzitiello, '13)

2015 Best Film Winner - "Early October"

Produced by Maple Films (Dustin Lee, '07, Terry Geer, '12, Jon Jivan, '08)