ETSU will host its annual 52 Film Festival Feb. 27-Mar. 1 at the ETSU Martha Culp Auditorium, challenging teams of filmmakers to write, shoot and edit a short film in just 52 hours.

Now in its fifth year, the festival began as a downtown collaboration between media and communication professor Shara Lange, Wallace Theatre owner Chris Maloney and ActionVFX.

“We started it five years ago,” Lange said. “It was me and the gentleman who owns the Wallace Theater, Chris Maloney. With ActionVFX, we kind of started the first year. We did it downtown.”

This year, the event is primarily operated by ETSU, though ActionVFX remains a sponsor, donating prizes. Maloney is selling the Wallace Theatre space, prompting a venue change for the festival.

The competition begins Friday morning when registered teams receive three required elements: a specific location, a line of dialogue and a prop. From that point, they have 52 hours to complete their films. Screenings and awards are held after the submission deadline.

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“It’s kind of like the 42-hour film festival, except ours is 52 hours,” Lange said.

Registration closed Wednesday with 11 teams signed up. In previous years, participation has ranged from eight teams in the inaugural year to a high of 16. Teams typically include ETSU students, high school students, community college participants and independent filmmakers from the region.

“It’s really all ages,” Lange said, noting that high school and college students make up much of the field.

The required elements are kept secret until the start of the competition. Past locations have included the Tweetsie Trail and the Gray Fossil Site. Props have ranged from inflatable beach balls to other unexpected items. In previous years, films were screened downtown at the Wallace Theatre, which seats about 100 people. Attendance outgrew the venue, Lange said. This year, screenings and awards will be held on campus in the Culp Auditorium, allowing for a larger audience.

Community partnerships remain a central part of the festival. Dos Gatos Coffee Bar provides participants with coffee cards, and Spark Plaza donates prizes, including three-day coworking passes for award winners. Plan A and the Jackson Theatre are also among the sponsors contributing cash and in-kind support.

“We’ve basically done this for almost no budget,” Lange said. “The prize does come from various sponsors.”

Beyond the awards, Lange said the festival offers students practical experience in filmmaking and collaboration.

“Anytime you’re practicing these skills — the hard skills and the soft skills — it’s great practice for people’s careers in media,” she said.

The tight deadline can pose challenges, particularly during the exporting process. Some teams have missed the cutoff in past years but still had their films screened outside of competition. Despite the pressure, Lange said the event is meant to be fun and community driven.

“One of the things I get excited about is building community around film,” she said. “When you’re making the work and showing it, people are responding to the work. It’s really exciting and validating.”

The festival is open to the public and Lange encouraged families and friends to attend. She added that participants do not need to major in media and communication to compete, noting that some teams have created films entirely on smartphones.

“Almost anyone can do it,” she said.

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