Team representatives select genre to make a short film within 48 hours. — Photo courtesy of the organisers

HCM CITY — More than 1,000 young filmmakers representing 126 teams are taking part in the “48 Hour Film Project” contest that has begun in HCM City.

At the opening ceremony, each team had to randomly select genre from among horror, comedy, romance, musical and many more to make a film that runs from four to seven minutes.

The teams will each be given three elements – a character, a prop and a line of dialogue – and then 48 hours to make a film incorporating them.

The message of this year’s competition is 'Inside a filmmaker's head’, the organisers said.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Irene Trịnh, ambassador of the 48HFP Việt Nam 2020, said: “We are in the middle of a global pandemic, the world around us is crumbling, the environment is suffocating by our own doing, the economy is a giant mess, there is civil unrest all over the world. It is in these moments that we need movie magic, we need the magic of the big and small screens. 

“We need the stories and the images that take us to another world, to a happy place, to a sad place, to a memorable place – no other medium is more powerful in its ability to transport us out of our world and into the characters’ world of hopes and dreams, and no other medium can move us, make us feel like film can. So I ask, ‘When, if not now? Just Go For It. What do you have to lose?’”

An awards ceremony will be held on December 5 with prizes worth VNĐ170 million (US$7,730) given away and training opportunities offered.

The winners of the contest will represent Việt Nam at the international final round Filmapalooza. Over 150 cities will participate in that with the winners having their films screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

The jury this year comprises director, screenwriter and producer Phan Gia Nhật Linh; director, actor, producer, and screenwriter Kathy Uyên; director and screenwriter Hàm Trần; producer, deputy director and actress Jenni Trang Lê; and producer Irene Trịnh.

The 11th edition of 48HFP is organised by Capital Studio, Co-Lab Việt Nam and HKFilm in collaboration with Box Collective. — VNS