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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The 52-Hour Film Festival is the newest addition to Clarksville’s annual Riverfest event, and time is running out to enter the brand new contest.
Robert Rayburn with Clarksville Parks and Recreation is excited to inspire amateur filmmakers to create short films.

“You have 52 hours to come up with a film. You have to be able to script it, film it, and produce it, all within 52 hours,” Rayburn said.

Participants can create teams consisting of as many people as they wish, and each team will be assigned a genre, line of dialogue, a character name, and a prop they must use in the film. This ensures the authenticity of the film, which must be created within the time constraint.

Films must be four to seven minutes in length. The deadline to submit entry forms is Thursday, August 14 at 11:59 p.m. There is no fee to enter. Find the entry form here.

A mandatory informational meeting will be held Friday, August 15 at Freedom Point in Liberty Park at 5 p.m. At least one team member from each group is required to attend. Following the meeting teams have until Sunday at 10 p.m. to submit their films. They can be emailed to Robert.rayburn@cityofclarksville.com.

Participants can use any device to create the films, from iPhones to professional video cameras. Although genres will be assigned, the categories can be interpreted however the team likes. “Love story, for example. It could be boy meets girl, zombie meets brain, that’s really up to you,” Rayburn said. “This is really open to using your imagination.”

A screening and awards ceremony will be held Sep. 6 at 8 p.m. at McGregor Park. The event will be free and open to the public.

Prizes up for grabs, thanks to the Clarksville Department of Electricity, include GoPro Hero3’s, Amazon Gift Cards, and Western Drive My Cloud 3TB Hard Drive. All films entered into the festival will air on the CDE Lightband Channel 6 following the festival, and the top 10 films will be shown prior to the main shows throughout the Clarksville Movies in the Park 2015 season.

“GoPros are taking over the world. People are loving them, so I’m glad we’re able to give them away as prizes,” Rayburn said.

For more information, visit www.clarksvilleriverfest.com.