Filmmakers experience movie-making frenzy as 48-hr deadline ticks down

Wellington, May 19 (ANI): Thousands of aspiring film-makers around New Zealand are expected to experience sleeplessness, creative exhaustion and the stress of a 48 hour deadline, as the country's largest film competition gets underway.

The 48 hour film competition began at 7pm on Friday night and the 755 nationwide teams will spend the weekend frantically writing, editing and filming an original short film in 48 hours.

The competition began in 2003 with 44 teams and has grown to include thousands of people from Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. This year it celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Auckland-based competition founder Ant Timpson said it was great to get sneak peak of future filmmakers.

"I get a really good sneaky glimpse of possible rising talent in the industry which is what everyone really wants to know who's going to be the next Taika Waititi, the next Peter Jackson so the 48 has became the single place where you can actually see potential people popping out," Stuff.co.nz quoted Timpson as saying.

Each film is given one of 12 genres and every year there are particular components that must be included. In previous years there have been specific characters, props and lines of dialogue.

These were announced shortly before the competition officially began.

The teams must ensure their films are in before the deadline of 7pm on Sunday or face disqualification.

The completed films are screened in heats, with the best selected by judges for city finals. In another judging cut, the outstanding go to a grand final on June 30.

'The Lord of the Rings' director Sir Peter Jackson is the wildcard judge.

"Congratulations to every one of the thousands of kiwis who picked up a camera, wrote a script, crewed a set or played a role in ten years of furious filmmaking," Sir Peter said. (ANI)