2026 Competition Weekend Kickoff at Spark Studio

The moment you’ve been waiting for is here! The 2026 San Diego 48 Hour Film Project officially begins at Spark Studio Soundstage.

I’m a team leader. What happens at kickoff?

You should get there around 4:30pm. You must be checked in by 5pm. Team leaders must have their team leader agreements scanned, signed and uploaded to their dashboard at 48hourfilm.

Immediately after all teams are checked in, teams will begin selection of their random genres, one from each list, on our wheel of genres.

Then leading up to 7pm, teams will receive:

A random prop
A random character name and occupation
A random line of dialog

Then, the clock starts ticking!

What if I don’t have a team?

If you want to be absolutely sure to have a team, you’ll need to create your own… but if you don’t want to, come by and see if there’s a team looking for what you’ve got to offer! Actors, crew, production and general helpers often find teams at kickoff!

Important Details

Team leaders must be checked in by 5pm.
Complete your team leader agreement on the 48hourfilm dashboard before you arrive.
Don’t have a team yet? Come anyway — actors, crew, and helpers often find a team at kickoff.

About the 48 Hour Film Project

The 48 Hour Film Project is the longest running and most popular timed filmmaking competition. Amateur and professional teams around the world make movies over a weekend, which are later given a premier in a real theater. San Diego’s 2026 competition weekend is August 28-30th.

Schedule

Friday, August 28, 2026
4:30pm - 7pm

Team Leader Check-In

4:30pm - 5:00pm

Team leaders should arrive around 4:30pm and must be checked in by 5pm. Team leader agreements must be scanned, signed, and uploaded to the 48hourfilm dashboard before you check in.

Genre Draw and Required Elements

5:00pm - 7:00pm

After check-in, teams pick their random genres on the wheel of genres, then receive a random prop, character name and occupation, and line of dialog. The clock starts at 7pm.

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Location

Spark Studio Soundstage

Full-featured media production suite in Kearny Mesa

8283 Ronson Rd, San Diego, CA 92111

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Partner

Spark Studio Soundstage

A full-featured media production suite featuring a versatile 3,000 sq ft double-walled, sound-insulated TV studio in the former XETV-6 broadcast campus. The studio is fully equipped with a 12’ green cyclorama, LED video wall, fog machine, pro-level AV gear and club lighting.