40 Days & 40 Nights Short Film Challenge
The challenge begins February 15, 2024, and ends at midnight on March 26, 2025.
2025 Challenge Theme: Love Stories
Award:
The top selected film will receive an automatic selection and screening at the 12th Annual Playhouse West Film Festival-Philadelphia, August 22-24, 2025.
REGISTER A PRODUCTION TEAM
For the 6th year, the members of Playhouse West-Philadelphia are engaged in a 40 Days / 40 Nights Film Challenge. Productions teams have 40 days/nights to write, produce, cast, shoot and edit a short film (2 to 30 minutes in length). This challenge is open to current or former members of all Playhouse West branches.
COMPETITION THEME:
LOVE STORIES
The Theme for this year's challenge is: “Love Stories”. We are challenging filmmakers to to tell a story that thematically uses love to dramatize a premise or theme. So many great stories, no matter what the genre, are actually love stories.
This does not mean that the film must be a traditional romance drama or romantic comedy kind of love story, where the boy gets (or doesn't get) the girl or visa versa. It certainly can be, of course. However, one could also dramatize a story where love is absent or lacking, where love is authentic or inauthentic, false, deceitful, overbearing or smothering, and many more. Also remember, there are stories of familial love, brotherly and sisterly love, love among friends, love between people and their pets, etc. The goal is just use the theme of love to dramatize something. Therefore, it is very important to define your theme or premise, and make sure it has something to do with... love!
Download the Initial Instructions for more details.
There will also be several additional elements/requirements in the Final Instructions, revealed on the first day of challenge.
Accepted Genres: Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Drama, Romance Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Horror, Science Fiction
Genres not Accepted: Documentary, Animation.