72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition

The 72 Hour Shootout filmmaking competition (the “Shootout”) is an annual, global filmmaking competition celebrating diversity in front of and behind the camera.

Teams compete for access to a year of free educational and networking events, mentorships with executives at major networks like ABC, cash, prizes and the chance to have their films screened at film festivals, both nationally and internationally, and on television. The top 50 films from the 2021 Shootout will air across the country on the 2022 season of Film Lab Presents

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION BEGINS MARCH 1st HERE

In order to qualify for the Early-Bird Registration Fee of $25, your registration must be submitted by no later than March 31st. From April 1st until April 30th, the Regular Registration Fee will be $50. From May 1st until May 31st, the Late Registration Fee will be $75. Thereafter, the Last Minute Registration Fee will be $100. We encourage every member of a team to register, although only one person on a team must register in order to submit a film. If only one person on a team registers, they will be the only one eligible for prizes and recognition in the festival.

Requirements

The competition creates a valuable opportunity for filmmakers of color – focusing on Asian American filmmakers – and women, as well as other underrepresented groups, to demonstrate their talent, gain exposure in the entertainment industry and impact the visibility of diverse stories and characters in film. One of the Shootout requirements is that at least one key production member (e.g., director, producer or writer) and a principal actor from each team must be of Asian descent.

The 72 Hour Shootout is a global filmmaking competition for everyone from novices to established filmmakers. Filmmaking teams are given a common theme at the start of the Shootout (usually 8pm EST, the first Thursday of June) and then have 72 hours to write, shoot, edit, and complete short films up to five minutes in length.

For two decades, the Film Lab and the Shootout have provided a platform for faces, voices and stories too often marginalized, whitewashed or silenced by mainstream media. Registrants can obtain screen tests and mentorships from major TV networks and established industry professionals to help develop their careers and the top ten films screen at the AAI Film Festival, on the TV series “Film Lab Presents,” and are promoted online via AAFL TV.

Every year, registration opens online in MARCH and the Film Lab runs a series of workshops between March and June, free for registrants, to teach basic filmmaking skills and help people network and form teams. The events are livestreamed for registrants around the globe.

The actual 72 hours of filming takes place in June with the winning films premiering at the Asian American International Film Festival in July under the auspices of and in collaboration with Asian CineVision. This program was made possible, in part, due to the generous support of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council