The event kickoff is held the opening Friday at 5:30pm in the Coyote Gallery at 12 E. Main. At least one representative from each team must be present to receive the assigned genres and the required film elements. Teams then have only 48 hours to write, shoot, and edit a short 4–7 minute film. Films must be submitted to the Fool’s 48 Google Drive folder by 6:00pm Sunday. Only films by the teams who meet the deadline will be screened in the showcase.

The showcase will be held at the Coyote Twin Theater on Monday at 7pm. There are no reserved seats and no free admits for team members. Admission for everyone is $7 per person. Purchase tickets ahead at vermilliontheaters.com starting on kickoff Friday.

Seating is first-come, first served. Please be respectful of fellow community attendees and refrain from reserving multiple seats. To sit together, arrive early together.

The VCA is exceptionally thankful to Ebsen House Productions for annual technical assistance.

A. Teams must have at least one resident of Vermillion. All filming must occur in Clay County.

B. All creative work must take place within the designated 48 hours. That includes but is not limited to the following:
• Writing the script
• Rehearsing lines and blocking
• Costume and set design
• Filming
• Editing
• Sound design

Work permitted prior to the designated 48 hours may include the following:
• Organizing crew
• Organizing cast 
• Securing equipment
• Scouting locations

C. Each team must secure talent releases and location releases, which must be turned in to Fool’s 48 organizers with the finished film. Minors must have a parent or guardian sign on their behalf. Teams that fail to secure signed releases will not have their film screened in the showcase. 

D. ALL footage must be shot within the time period of the project. No stock footage, B-roll, or clips from other sources may be used. Animation and special effects are permitted but must be created during the designated 48 hours.

E. Final film length must be no shorter than 4 minutes and no longer than 7 minutes. That length does NOT include the opening slate but DOES include the end credits.

F. Each participating group must have a representative at the official kickoff event of the Fool’s 48 Hour Short Film Project at 5:30pm on Friday, April 5. At that event, each group will draw from a hat their film genre and this year’s required elements will be revealed. Each year, we three require elements: a specific location, a prop, and a phrase. Films that do not contain all required elements will not be screened in the showcase.

Each team must submit a copy of the final film in the provided Google Drive folder by 6pm on Sunday, April 7.

1. Before the film begins, insert an opening slate lasting 15 seconds that includes the following:
• Team name
• Title
• Genre
• Date
• City
• Optional content warning
• 5 seconds of black.

2. Films must include the following credit: This film was produced as part of the Fool’s 48 Short Film Project.

3. The Fool’s 48 Short Film Project organizers encourage all filmmakers to create movies that are appropriate for all ages and audiences. The organizers reserve the right to not screen any film that can be considered pornography or that depicts graphic violence. If your film depicts trauma that may be upsetting for some viewers, a content warning is required on your title slate, or a separate card just after. If you have a question about whether your content needs a warning, contact the VCA Executive Director.

4. Participating groups are encouraged to work with local musicians to write and record music for the films. Teams may use pre-recorded music ONLY if they have secured the rights to the music used and credit the artist.

5. If shot in a 16:9 ratio and/or anamorphic, the film must be letter-boxed. The projector will not be reformatted to stretch the picture. If we cannot view a film on the Coyote Twin Theater equipment, it may be disqualified.

6. Credits at the end of each film are limited to a maximum of 60 seconds and are inclusive to the length of the film. 

7. You may use artificial intelligence in the creation of your film, subject to the following guidelines:
• You may only use AI in ways that are legal in South Dakota.
• You may not use AI created prior to production weekend for any part of your film.
• You must have the rights to all work including work created with AI. In other words, any AI generated material that uses copyrighted material for which the filmmaker does not have a release is not permitted (i.e., using a screenshot from the movie Jaws to create a new image is prohibited).

Get in on the action! We offer advertising and award sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and orgs. All ads will run on the big screen as part of the preshow during audience seating and as part of the Fool’s 48 showcase at the Coyote Twin. Advertisers and sponsors will get shoutouts across VCA’s social media and during the showcase event.

Our showcases sell out! Showcase reels are also posted to the Coyote Twin YouTube channel and are shared on the Fool’s 48 Facebook page for posterity.

To become an advertiser or sponsor, contact us at events@vermilliontheaters.com.

Ad Rates
20-second single slide (you design) – $50
20-second single slide (we design) – $70
30-second video spot – $100
1-minute video spot – $150

Slide ads can be created in Google Slide or PowerPoint. If you’d like us to design a slide ad for your business or organization, please provide logo and desired text or content.

Video ads can be smartphone recordings or fully produced spots. If using a smartphone, please record in horizontal view and ensure sound is audible or edit to include voice over, music, etc.

Product Placement
$50 – Your logo/promotional item will appear on screen in at least 1 Fool’s 48 film. (Or all of them, if you’re the only product placement taker!)

Award Sponsorships
Community Best Picture – $500
USD Student Best Picture – $500

All award sponsorship monies are presented to the winning teams on the evening of the showcase. Sponsors will be thanked on screen and announced during the award ceremony. Sponsors are also welcome to provide prize swag to the team who wins a selected award.

Questions? Don’t be shy! Reach out to events@vermilliontheaters.com.