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How long does it take to make a film? Weeks? Months? Years?

What happens when you have 36 hours? 

That’s the challenge for students from the Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities, as the 36 Hour Film Challenges returns to the University of Sussex for yet another year.

Taking place between Saturday,7th to Sunday, 8th of November 2026, the 36 Hour Film Challenge provides the opportunity for students to showcase their talents in a fast-paced filmmaking challenge. The competition will see up to 100 students from the Faculty of Media Arts and Humanities participate.

Working in teams of up to twelve people, the students will plan, shoot, and edit a compelling four-minute film – all within a 36-hour timeframe. The teams will be given a prop, a location, and other mystery parameters that they will have to include in the creation of their film. They will also be provided with all the necessary equipment to produce a film by the Faculty's Media Stores.

The challenge aims to test the limits of creativity, encouraging students to think outside of the box and reconsider what they know about filmmaking. Tom Chester, one of the winners from the 2019 36 Hour Film Challenge said, ‘The challenge proved to be exactly what it says on the tin - a challenge! Nevertheless, it was a fantastic experience and we were able to push our creativity, push ourselves physically and engage with so many other fantastic filmmakers.’ 

Once submitted, the films will be screened minutes after (Sunday 8th November) as part of the Cinecity Film Festival taking place at the Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts. The Cinecity Film Festival is open to the public and offers the chance for the students to showcase their work and network with a range of industry professionals.

The stakes are high, with £500 awaiting the team in first place with the best film, followed by a second place prize of £300 and a third place prize of £200. The judging panel has yet to be confirmed, though previous years have seen the University of Sussex Vice-Chancellor, Creative Director of ACCA and Dean of the Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities sit on the panel.

Teams will be asked to register online in the lead-up to the event, on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration is free, with more details to follow shortly.

• • Teams minimum of 5 (not including actors) and a maximum of 12 people.
  • The 5 core members must each take up a different role and include  Director, Producer, Camera, Sound, Editor. 
  • A minimum two core members must be from MAH Filmmaking/Media Production degrees (undergrad or postgrad).
  • Students from all MAH degrees are welcome to join teams as long as there is a minimum two member from MAH Filmmaking/Media Production. They can join either as Core or Supporting Roles e.g. composer, production assistant, runner, boom operator, sound design, actors.
  • You cannot collaborate with non-students on the making of the films (with the exception of actors). 
  • Actors can be friends, other students or other volunteers you may know. 

  • To register you will need the following information: team name, name of core members & supporting members if relevant (remember we encourage you to collaborate across year groups and courses).  Sussex emails (no non-Sussex emails accepted), course, year of study. 

To find out more come along to the

Briefing Event on Thursday 22nd of October 12pm - 12:30pm in Silverstone SB 121 or

Join the 36 Hour Film Challenge Canvas Page here. 

Registrations for teams will open on Monday 2nd of November. 

Tickets for the film screenings on Sunday 8th of November are free and can be found here!

*The views, opinions and creative expressions presented as part of this competition are those of the participating students and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of the University of Sussex, the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, their staff, partners or affiliates.