History of Film Racing

Film Racing began as a competition called NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness in 2002.  Filmmakers from around the country were invited to travel to New York City where they were challenged to create an original short film in 24 hours.  The competition was created by Charlie Weisman and Craig Flamm, two New York filmmakers who wanted to create the ultimate filmmaking challenge and answer a question.  Can a movie be made in a 24 hours?  Not only was the answer yes, but it turns out that making a movie in a day is extremely exciting and inspiring.  Thus, the concept of Film Racing was born.  Since 2002, Film Racing has expanded beyond New York to 20 cities throughout North America and over 1,500 films have been created as part of the competitions. 

The Mission

Film Racing is dedicated to inspiring and challenging creative minds.  We strive to provide exciting and rewarding competitions for the filmmakers and to provide them with the prizes and exposure necessary to take the next big step in the industry.

The 24 Hour Competition Format

In each city, teams receive a theme and surprise element assignment for their films via e-mail at 10PM on a Friday night.  Examples of past themes are "Revenge", "Bad Advice" and "Spare Change".  The plot of the film must revolve around the theme.  The surprise element can be a prop (ex. toothbrush) or an action which must be performed in the film (ex. a slap).

The filmmakers have just 24 hours to write, shoot, edit and score an original film no longer than 4 minutes (3:30 running time + 0:30 credits) based on the theme and surprise element assignment.  The films are due back at the film dropoff location by 10PM on Saturday night and all the films are screened for the public at a local theater a few days later.  The top films go on to compete for thousands in cash and prizes against filmmakers across North America.  For a more detailed list of technical rules, click here.

Exposure & Prizes

Film Racing is dedicated to getting as much exposure for the filmmakers and their films as possible.  Not only are the films showcased on the big screen for packed theaters across the country, but the top films have received over a million views online.  Film Racing is constantly looking to expand our partnerships with organizations and websites that can showcase the films to new audiences around the world.

Since 2007, Film Racing has given out over $150,000 in cash and prizes to the winning filmmakers to aid them in their future projects.  Click here to see the prizes for the 2010 Tour.  In addition to the prizes, teams vie for dozens of awards in each city in categories including Direction, Acting, Writing, Cinematography, Editing, Original Music Score, Sound Design, Costume Design, Visual FX, Special FX and many more.

How to Participate

Anyone can enter a team in Film Racing, as long as the team representative is 18 years of age or older.  Teams must provide their own equipment, cast and crew.  Whether you are an amateur or professional, have access to a plethora of resources or just your friend's basement, it all comes down to creativity.  So, get your creative juices flowing and get ready for a wild day of filmmaking!  Space is limited in each city, so make sure to register before it's too late!  Click here to see which cities are open for registration.