The 48 Hour Film Project

Never heard of a Film de Femme? That's because we invented it! This genre is specifically designed by the 48HFP to encourage strong roles for females in 48HFP films. A Film de Femme is a film featuring one or more strong female characters. Romantic comedies or chick flicks are included in this genre, but are only a subset.

What's a strong female character? Think Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, and Octavia Spencer in Hidden Figures, Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games, and Moana in Moana. Smart and complicated. Try to avoid having a woman doing a man's job like a man would do his job. And contrary to public opinion, strong women characters are not required to kill someone!

The political genre covers any aspect of politics from elections to governing to scandals. Politics is part of modern life and has been celebrated in films such as the classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or the more recent The Post. All the President's Men, Primary Colors and Dave are other examples. It can be politics on the local, national or international level whether it is government politics or politics in other organizations.

From the dawn of cinema to the early 1920s, films did not have synchronized sound—they only had the live piano player. We're reliving that, but in 48 hours! A silent film made as part of the 48HFP may have music and sound effects; however, it may not have dialogue or nat sound (that is, sound recorded while shooting). So if a door shuts in your movie, you can use any sound effect you please as long as it's not the actual sound of that door shutting. And if a person talks, you can use any sound effect you please as long as it's not the sound of any person talking. Sound good?