Local Filmmakers Taking Part In 48 Hour Film Project This Weekend

CHICAGO (CBS) -- It usually takes several years and millions of dollars to write, shoot, edit and market a movie, but some Chicagoans will try to do all of that in just this coming weekend.

The 48 Hour Film Project is a competition in which teams of filmmakers - some veterans, some novices - will have to write, shoot, edit and deliver a short film between four and seven minutes long in 48 hours.

Filmmakers are assigned a genre on Friday night and then must also incorporate an assigned prop, character name, a line of dialogue and a character profession no matter what their movie is about.

Jerry Vasilatos is the Chicago City Producer for the 48-Hour Film Project, which is held around the world. He tells WBBM, "Filmmakers are judged on their creativity, how they will weave the same elements into their projects in a creative way."

And, Vasilatos says, the competition is open to anyone.

"We have a very broad range of participating filmmakers. They can be newbies to emerging independent filmmakers, to professionals who are already working in the industry in Chicago and just want to get their friends together to do something fun on the weekend."

The finished films will be shown next week at the Logan Theater at 2646 N. Milwaukee Ave.

For more information, visit www.48hourfilm.com/chicago-il.