Race against time to create a masterpiece

On your mark; get set; film!

For the first time, Beijingers will be able to participate in the 48 Hour Film Project - the world's largest timed filmmaking competition.

Teams will have to rely on inspiration, adrenaline and tons of caffeine as they battle to write, cast, shoot and edit a short film in a mere 48 hours. In addition to the tight deadline, teams are also randomly given a genre, character, prop and line that they must incorporate into their movie.

"People can try to prepare but you can't do much when you don't know what to expect," says Christina Tao, project manager of 48 HFP in Beijing. "People should just get a lot of sleep. They will need the energy."

Since its 2001 launch in Washington DC the 48 HFP has now expanded to over 80 cities with more than 35,000 participants.

Peter Sallad, city producer for 48 HFP Beijing and chief volunteer of the New Beijing International Movie Festival (NBIMF), says it is important for Beijing to join in the 48 HFP, given its plethora of talented filmmakers. He believes the competition will help stimulate innovation in Beijing's independent film community.

James Foster, general operator for 48 HFP and volunteer at NBIMF, also says making independent films will help Chinese filmmakers steer away from Hollywood and from old Chinese movies. He says he would like to see groundbreaking movies on issues that affect China today.

"We want to break the formula and tell people it's okay to be creative. The goal is to change the way people think."

So far, says Tao, 16 teams have signed up. She sees this as a good first-time number and expects it to grow in future.

Foster says 48 HFP is only the beginning for independent filmmakers in Beijing and hopes that one day he can hold an annual film festival like the Cannes Festival.

The 48 HFP kicks off on Friday at the Yan Club Arts Center, Dashanzi 798 and ends on Sunday. The screening of movies will take place from June 26 to 28.