The 2025 San Diego 48 Hour Film Project was a tremendous success, featuring outstanding creativity and talent from our local filmmaking community. This year’s competition saw teams competing across multiple screening groups, with awards presented in various categories recognizing excellence in filmmaking.
Teams excelled at incorporating the required elements:
To recognize the effort put into making a film that brings us all a little closer.
The 2025 competition journey began months before the actual filmmaking weekend, with a series of networking events and opportunities for teams to connect and prepare.
Throughout the spring and summer, teams and potential participants gathered at various San Diego venues:
Kickoff at Spark Studio - August 15th Teams gathered at Spark Studio Soundstage to receive their random genres, character requirements, props, and lines of dialogue. The clock started ticking at 7:00 PM as teams began their 48-hour filmmaking marathon.
Wrap Party at BJ’s Brewhouse - August 17th After submitting their films, teams celebrated their accomplishments and shared war stories over food and drinks.
Teams were organized into four screening groups, each with their own premiere event:
Each screening featured a purple carpet photo opportunity and live voting for audience choice awards.
Best of San Diego Screening and Awards Gala - September 28th The culmination of the competition, featuring the top films and presentation of all awards at AMC Mission Valley 20.
The competition featured teams organized into four screening groups (A, B, C, D), with films competing for both jury awards and audience choice recognition. Each group held their own premiere screening where audiences voted for their favorite films, and the top films from all groups were selected for the prestigious Best of 2025 screening.
The 2025 competition featured:
The 2025 San Diego 48 Hour Film Project showcased the incredible talent and dedication of our local filmmaking community. From technical excellence to creative storytelling, this year’s competition demonstrated the power of collaboration and the magic that can happen when passionate filmmakers come together to create under pressure. Congratulations to all participants and winners!
