The first ever iFFY Filmmaking Marathon has concluded for 2024! Thanks to all 13 teams who participated!

26.2 Hours. 
Four Minutes. 
Endless Possibilities. 

Think you can make a short film in just over a day? The iFFY 26.2 Hour Filmmaking Marathon is a chance to prove it and try your hand at winning a cash prize! Whether you're an industry professional, a film student, or it's your first time ever even thinking about making a movie, your filmmaking voice is welcome here.

Congratulations to our 26.2 iFFY Filmmaking Marathon winners for 2024

  • Grand Prize | Scribble by Sky Rat Productions

    CREW: Jenny Scuccimarri, Jacob Farah, Joel Stralnic, Johanna Drentlaw, Syd Martin, Brennen Arnett and Lucas Nielsen.

  • Honorable Mention | Benson's Big Day Out by Ford Studio B

    CREW: Heather Irvine, Ethan Williams, Nicholas Battle, Sella Martirez-Volpentesta, Matthew McCracken, Jay Potesta, Connor O‘Loughlin, AJ Landingham, Karsyn Beachamp, Alex Frankln, Monica Lovell, Bib Fike, Steve Pierce

The iFFY 26.2 Hour Filmmaking Marathon

was held the weekend before iFFY,

Saturday, April 20 to Sunday April 21.

HOW IT WORKS

  • Here’s the deal:

    1. Filmmakers form teams, who will then work together to create a short film in just 26.2 hours. There is no limit to the members that can be in your crew. Filming equipment will not be provided—crews must use their own. Get creative!

    2. On Saturday morning, April 20th from 9 – 10am, filmmakers will gather in downtown Ypsilanti at the Riverside Arts Center (third floor) to check in and get the required prompts for the films they will produce.

    3. After check in at RAC, crews have 26.2 hours to write, film, edit and deliver a short (under 4 minutes) film.

    4. Films must be turned in or uploaded (instructions will be provided) by Sunday, April 21st by 12:12pm.

    Each film completed on time and following the required prompts will be screened on Wednesday, April 24 in the evening as part of independent Film Festival Ypsilanti (iFFY) at the Riverside Arts Center.

    Films will be eligible for cash awards and other prizes. Our panel of judges will determine award winners between the Sunday deadline and the screening the following Wednesday, April 24.

  • Yes, there is a $50 entry fee for each team, which will help fund the competition awards.

  • Each short film must be limited to 4 minutes in length, including any credits. Filmmakers will be expected to incorporate a number of elements provided by the organizers, which may include a line of dialogue, a prop, a character, a location, a specific action, or a specific type of shot.

  • Sunday, April 21st by 12:12pm. All teams will begin the competition at the same time (10am on April 20th). For inclusion in competition, films must be turned in by the deadline.

  • Instructions on where to upload your final film files will be provided via the email you signed up with. Please refer to that email.

    FILE TYPE:     Our preferred wrappers are .mov or .mp4/m4v.

    VIDEO ENCODING
    H.264

    RESOLUTION
    1080p (please avoid submitting 4K files, as they will generally take longer to export and upload)

    Note: The Riverside Art Center’s projector’s native resolution is 1920 vertical and 1080 horizontal. Additionally, our audio system can currently only output stereo or mono signals, as such we request all audio be mixed down to Stereo or Mono to ensure as much of your sound mix is preserved as possible.

  • Each completed film will be screened on Wednesday, April 24 at 7:30pm as part of Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti (iFFY) at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti.

  • Each film that is completed on time and following the required prompts will be eligible to win the 26.2 Filmmaking Marathon top award: a $250 cash prize and inclusion in the official Opening Night program of iFFY (April 25th). An additional $100 honorable mention award will also be given.

Ready to make a movie?

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE 26.2 FILMMAKING MARATHON? CONTACT US

The Marathon’s Judges

  • Stephanie Hough

    Stephanie Hough is the board president of Women in Film PDX and an award-winning independent filmmaker. Her films have screened globally, including at such festivals as the Portland International Film Festival, Tacoma Film Festival, McMinnville Short Film Festival, Engage Film Festival, BendFilm, Tribeca Film Center, Lacuna Festival, and more.

  • Ben Popp

    Ben Popp is the Head of Artist Services at the Portland Art Museum Center for an Untold Tomorrow in Portland, OR. He is the former lead programmer for the Northwest Filmmaker’s Festival and co-founder of Experimental Film Festival Portland. He is a prolific animator and independent filmmaker whose works have been screened at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, Experiments in Cinema, and Shorts From Underground, amongst others.

  • Scott Braucht

    Scott Braucht is the co-founder/programmer for the I Saw That: Queer Movie Club and a filmmaker specializing in narratives, music videos, and documentaries. His films have screened at NewFest and other festivals around the world. He is also a recipient of multiple grants, the most recent of these being from the Portland Events and Film Office for his upcoming series Lulu's Clubhouse. He is currently working on his first feature length documentary, Dear Doris, about the making of the queer cult classic film Vegas in Space.