(KPAX) Making a video is something we can all do with today’s smartphones and digital cameras.

But what if you went one step further and made a short film the whole town could see.

The 48 Hour Film Project is coming to Missoula and offers a chance to become an actual filmmaker and maybe even set your course for the silver screen.

movie — a short — made by you in two days! It’s what the 48 hour film project is all about andfor the first time, this competition is coming to Missoula.

As humans, we need to tell stories. It’s just what’s ingrained in every single one of us,” explained Missoula co-producer Krk Nordenstrom.

The 48-hour film project is a competition started 15 years ago in Seattle and is now held in more than 100 countries around the world where aspiring filmmakers — or anyone really, get two days to write, shoot and edit a short film — with everyone on the same deadline.

“It’s become so accessible, so inexpensive that a competition like this, really gives you an opportunity and a time frame to do something,” Nordenstrom said.

The Missoula competition can only take 24 teams so you must register ahead of time online. Then on May 31, the teams go to the Roxy Theater for the kickoff event.

Each group will be assigned required elements that must appear in its film — such as a genre, a character, a prop and a line of dialogue. Once teams get their marching orders, it’s time to make a movie.

“Not only Missoula but the entire state of Montana has fabulous filmmakers that do some amazing projects. You have your Big Sky documentary film festival, you have your wildlife film festival,” said the project’s Kris Flink.

“There’s so many things happening here so…they definitely have a whole world here to offer here that not a lot of people are familiar with,” she added.

Judges will pick the best film based on artistic and technical merit and if the filmmaker followed the requirements of the competition.

The winner goes on to Filmapalooza in the Netherlands with a chance to show their work at Cannes.

The Missoula entries will be screened on Sunday, June 9 at the Missoula Community Theater.

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