The 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition
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 almost 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, resgistration 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.
Teams compete for access to a year of free educational and networking events, mentorships with executives at NBC, ABC, and more, cash, prizes and the chance to have their films screened at film festivals, both nationally and internationally. The competition creates a valuable opportunity for filmmakers of color – focusing on Asian American filmmakers – and women 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.
Past Judges include hip hop icon Russell Simmons, producer Teddy Zee, ABC Primetime Casting Director Marci Phillips and playwright David Henry Hwang, among others.
The top 40 films will roll out on AAFL TV. Subscribe for free at YouTube.com/asamfilmlab so you get to see them all!
Stay posted via our homepage, Facebook and Twitter.
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The top ten films of the 2018 72 Hour Shootout - themed "No More" - were announced and screened at the 41st Annual Asian American International Film Festival in NYC on July 28, 2018. The winners were:
GRAND PRIZE: Extinct, Team Yellow Tiger, led by Veronica Dang
1st Runner Up: The Struggle, Team Misfit Dog Productions, led by Brian Kim
2nd Runner Up: The Casting Place, Team Kill the Pig Productions, led by Tyler Ham Pong
Remaining Top Ten Films:
The Itch, Team Alan, led by Alan Chen
The Deadbeat, Team Rising Glory, led by Tanya Huston
The Last Asian Superheroes, Team The Last Asian Superheroes, led by Jay Feng Cobb
Salvation, Team Changsteele, led by Will M. Chang
How To End A Date, Team Philasians, led by Phuong Nguyen
Hurt No More, Team Owl's Sprint, led by Victoria Moy
Shutout, Team Inspirasian, led by Kevin Chew
Individual prizes included:
Most Original Use of Theme NO MORE:Tanya Huston of The Deadbeat, Team Rising Glory
Best Screenwriter: Kevin Chew of Shutout, Team Inspirasian
Best Director: Brian Kim of The Struggle, Team Misfit Dog Productions
Best Cinematography: Charlie Muentes, of The Struggle, Team Misfit Dog Productions
Best Actress: TIE between Jamie Miller of "The Casting Couch" by Kill the Pig Productions and Rachel Yong of "The Itch" by Team Alan
Best Actor: Brian Kim of Misfit Dog Productions "The Struggle"
Like Facebook.com/72HrShootout and follow @asamfilmlab #72HrSO for more!
The 72 Hour Shootout is a registered Trademark of the Asian American Film Lab.
All Rights Reserved.
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THE THEME OF THE 2018 72 HOUR SHOOTOUT FILMMAKING COMPETITION WAS NO MORE!
THE THEME OF THE 2017 72 HOUR SHOOTOUT FILMMAKING COMPETITION WAS WELCOME TO THE NEW NORMAL!
The normalization of xenophobia and sexism in mainstream society.
This year's Shootout filmed June 1-4, 2017. The top ten films premiered at AAIFF on July 29, 2017! Judges include ABC's Excecutive Director of Casting and prizes ranged from cash to NBC mentorships!
The Top Ten of the 2017 72 Hour Shootout:
**Note: The top 40 films will roll out online on AAFL TV and on our TV series, Film Lab Presents**
The Loving Dead, by Chimera Entertainment (Chris Caccioppoli, NY)
The Perfect Donor, by Team Iggy (Jatin Chhugani, NY)
Unwelcome, by Team Aberrasian (Eddie Yu, CA)
Hey, by Team Jack in the Crack (Jack Hernandez, CA)
Normal, by Team MFAs (Edmund Kwan, CA)
Noise, by Team Restless Pictures (Michael Grantland, NY)
Well, Actually, by Team Chitamber (Haley Chitambar, NY)
Reality Check, by Team Rising Glory (Tanya Huston, NY)
Norma, by Team Distopian Dreams (Jeremy Rishe, NY)
Breaking the Ice, by Team Lessons in Sonar (Katherine Chou, NY)
Individual Award Category Winners of the 2017 72 Hour Shootout:
Grand Prize: The Loving Dead by Team Chimera Entertainment
1st Runner Up: The Perfect Donor by Team Iggy
2nd Runner Up: Unwelcome by Team Aberrasian
Most Original Use of Theme: Team DTX Pictures lead by team captain Andrew Hsu of NY.
Best Screenwriter: Haley Chitamber for the film “Well, Actually.”
Best Director: Kaycee Ross of Team AberrAsian for the film “Unwelcome.”
Best Cinematography: Michael "Beau" Grantland of Team Restless Pictures for the film “Noise.”
Best Editor: Jeremy Rishe of Team Distopian Dream for the film “Norma.”
Best Actress: A tie between Rachel Yong of Team Jen Kim CREATIVE, for the film “To Be Determined,” and Sienna Chew of “Parental Guidance Suggested” by Team Inspirasian, led by Kevin Chew, both NY teams.
Best Actor: BRANDON JONATHAN WONG in role of "Kevin" in Just Say It by Team Even Odds, led by team captain Edmund Chua of CA.
THE THEME OF THE 2016 72 HOUR SHOOTOUT FILMMAKING COMPETITION WAS LOSE THE LABELS!
72 HOUR SHOOTOUT TOP TEN WORLD PREMIERE occurred at the Asian American International Film Festival on July 23, 2016
Followed by an Awards Ceremony and Wrap Party at The Ainsworth.
The Top Films of the 2016 72 Hour Shootout:
The GRAND PRIZE winner of the 2016 72 Hour Shootout is Girard Tecson of Team Dayside Productions, for his film "The Model Minority Program."
The second runner up to the Grand Prize is Shubhra Prakash of Team Random Fox, for her film, "Vanilla."
The first runner up to the Grand Prize is Tony Ho Loke of Team ColorTV for his film "Wired."
The remaining Top Ten film teams and filmmakers of the 2016 72 Hour Shootout:
Team Living in the Meow - Lava Buckley-Sheets
J-Dub Squad - John Wu
The M.F.A.'s - Edmund Kwan
3 Dudes and a Camera - Steven Chan
Present Lee - Lee Hubilla
Struggling Cutie - Christina YR Jun
Nascent Productions - Micah Stinson
Two Mutts - Sean MacLaughlin
The Individual Award Category Winners:
The winner of the Most Original Use of Theme went to Team Living in the Meow, led by Lava Sheets for the film, "Call Me Mary."
The winner of Best Screenwriting went to RAIN NOE for Team ColorTV, led by team captain Tony Ho Loke for "Wired" with Special Jury Prize for Screenwriting to Raghu Rayadurg and Kabir Chopra from Team Vanilla!
The Award for Best Direction went to CHARLES OUDA & ROBERT LENG (co-directors) for Team 41 Granite's "Who Are You?" led by team captain: Robert Leng.
The award for Best Cinematography went to HIDEKI SHIOTA of Nascent Productions, led by team captain: Micah Stinson for the film "This is Not the Truth."
The award for Best Actor, who won a mentorship from NBC, among other things, went to PATRICK JAMES WALSH of Team Asya, led by Burak Tatar in the film "Insular".
The award for Best Actress went to KIMBERLY PARK of Team Soy Sauce Chicken led by team captain Eddie Shieh.
The Top 40 Shootout films will roll out on Film Lab's channel, AAFL TV, available at www.youtube.com/asamfilmlab and will also be shared on Facebook.com/AAFLTV and will be televised in the series, "Film Lab Presents," on CrossingsTV (Time Warner Cable, Xfinity). The Top 40 films (listed in alphabetical order, not by rank) are:
Self Help DTX Pictures
Insular ASYA
Yellow Mellow Citrus Fruit Team
Wired Color TV
Win or Lose The Giraffes
Who Are You? 41Granite
VitaMyBita Sparklers
Vanilla RANDOM FOX PRODUCTIONS
This is Not the Truth Nascent Productions
The Talk/The Walk? Ursa Major
The System Raw Milk
The Spectrum Two Mutts
The Model Minority Program Team Dayside
The Interview 3 Dudes and a Camera
The Grand Game Koherent View
Sway Sway Team
Submerged Mask-Off
Scorpion The M.F.A.'s
Pineapple Sunset Make Do Productions
Perfect Nothing SOY SAUCE CHICKEN
Perceptions Team Diamondback
Now That You're Gone Third Curtain
New Canvas Crazy Mane
Liao & Lilly Liberty Production
Labels, Damn Mad Fresh Daily
Kung Pao Chicken STR
Jorey JDub Squad
Jellyfish Jake Noble Fountain Productions & Cool Genius Entertainment
In Between Days You and Me
Ghost Town Lessons in Sonar
Four Women Looking Ladies' Knight
Day Off Lucky Planet 5
Claim Form Inspirasian
Call Me Mary Team Living in the Meow
Boxed Out Struggling Cutie
Banana to Papaya Being US
Almond Milk Present Lee
5 Questions The Weekend Collective
3 Chords and the Truth Team Eezus
2016 SHOOTOUT: JUNE 2-5, 2016
Read more here
and here!
WORLD PREMIERE OF TOP TEN FILMS AT AAIFF: July 23, 2016
What IS the 72 Hour Shootout?
Celebrating diversity and artistic empowerment, the Annual 72 Hour Film Shootout (“Shootout”) is a worldwide competition in which filmmaking teams are given a common theme at the start and then have 72 hours to write, shoot, edit, and complete short films up to five minutes in length. Teams compete for cash, prizes and the chance to have their films screened at the prestigious Asian American International Film Festival (“AAIFF”), New York’s leading festival for independent Asian and Asian American film and video, and the first and longest-running U.S. festival of its kind. As an integral part of AAIFF, the Shootout celebrates the creativity and genius of the directors, their casts and crews as they share stories by, about and for Asian Americans and other filmmakers of color with the world. AAIFF has played a vital role in discovering and nurturing such acclaimed talent as Wayne Wang (THE JOY LUCK CLUB), Ang Lee (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN), Mira Nair (THE NAMESAKE), Zhang Yimou (HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS), Christine Choy (WHO KILLED VINCENT CHIN?), Steven Okazaki (THE MUSHROOM CLUB), Jessica Yu (PING PONG PLAYA), and Justin Lin (FAST FIVE). The top ten films also contend for TELEVISED showcase on AAFL TV!
The competition creates a valuable opportunity for Asian American writers and filmmakers and other filmmakers of color to demonstrate their talent, gain exposure in the entertainment industry and impact the visibility of Asian American 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.
Registration Opens March 1 and lasts until the June Launch Party, at which the THEME is announced.
Watch the LiveStream of the 2014 Launch Party Here
For more, visit www.Facebook.com/72hrShootout
The 72 Hour Shootout
Not just your average filmmaking competition
#72HrSO
Join us and smash some glass ceilings!
Get mentored by execs from major networks and much, MUCH more...
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
Opening Remarks from the 2018 72 Hour Shootout Launch Party
Watch the 2015 Launch Party here!
The award winners of the 2015 72 Hour Shootout:
My Two Faces by “Inspirasian” (Top Ten Film; Most Original Use of Theme)
Bare by “Chomp Productions” (Top Ten Film)
A Case of Mistaken Identities by “Dayside Productions” (Top Ten Film)
Funny Faces by “Random Fox Productions” (Top Ten Film)
Hide and Seek by “GK Films” (Top Ten Film)
Rest Stop by “DTX Pictures” (Top Ten Film)
The Other Woman by “Tiny Giants” (Top Ten Film)
One Lunch by “RAWMIX Productions” (Top Ten Film; Best Writer, Rommel Andaya)
Boxer by “The MFA’s” (Top Ten Film; Grand Prize Winner; Best Actress; and Best Action Film, Toy Lei)
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Few actions light the fires of change more than a challenge. It ignites the imagination. It fuels progress. It forges the most enduring friendships. Above all, it has the power to change minds.
The 72 Hour Shootout matters.
In just one weekend, some of the world’s most brilliant filmmakers tackle the inequality of their industry, with amazing results. All over the world, multi-racial teams work together with a common goal. In that brief span they laugh, love, cry, fight, discover, and learn until, finally, they see. Then they share that vision with us. The result is a staggering body of work, hundreds of short films to date, which entertain, encourage, and challenge viewers to go on their own journeys.
The focus of 2015, “Look Deeper” celebrates the beauty we all wear. The theme of the 2015 competition is TWO FACES.
Since the inception of the 72 Hour Shootout, Asians and Asian Americans have enjoyed a growing presence in film, due in large part to the growing awareness among filmmakers.
Looking at 2014-15 network television programming, although the Asian American population is rising, its representation on major television networks is actually declining (the only racial group to have declined in 2014 according to SAG-AFTRA, despite an increase in population!). To make your mark in the shortest time possible, there is no better place than the 72 Hour Shootout. After a decade of Shootouts, which have inspired thousands of filmmakers and audience members, it’s your turn to become part of the legacy.
Accept the challenge. Support diversity in media!
THE TOP TEN FILMS OF 2014 and 2015 PREMIERED TO SOLD OUT THEATRES. Want to see all the films from the past 11 years? Subscribe to our Shootout channel (for free!) here. We'll do the top ten on the AAFL TV channel starting in August 2015. Subscribe for free here.
The Shootout is a Registered Trademark of the Film Lab
All Rights Reserved
(c) 2016