Lights. Cameras. Cannabis.
48 Hours To Make It Weird!
A surprise product. A shared prop. The first spark of a story.
420MEDIA and Weird Short Film Festival have come together to present a unique, fun opportunity for cannabis brands to become part of original films created in just 48 hours.
Your brand becomes part of the story. Creative inclusion in at least one short film, an online screening and continued online availability. The Top 20 films also screen live in NYC on February 6, 2027.
Friday reveals a shared prop, required dialogue line, and sponsor product. Your team decides how to weave them into an original story.
420MEDIA +
Weird Short Film Festival
We’ve come together to present a unique, fun opportunity for cannabis brands to become part of original films created in just 48 hours.
420MEDIA
Founded in 2014, 420MEDIA helps cannabis brands reach audiences through original content, advertising, PR and promotion.
Explore 420MEDIA ↗Weird Short Film Festival
Independent film with a love of horror, B-horror, psychological thrillers and dark comedy, giving filmmakers a place to share their work.
Explore Weird Short Film Festival ↗High Times covered the first festival’s winners and cannabis friendly creative culture.
Read the High Times featureYour brand.
Their imagination.
A creative way to be seen, with original film inclusion, promotion and opportunities to meet audiences in person.
$1,000
Plus 10 product units
Your product featured creatively in at least one original short film.
- Online screening and continued online availability of your film
- Sponsor recognition at screening intermission
- Promotion across 420MEDIA and festival channels
- 2 tickets to the NYC screening
$2,500
Film Partner benefits + event presence
Connect your film inclusion with a place at the screening event.
- Agreed brand display and shared event signage
- Inclusion in event digital promotion and advertising materials
- Non-THC product sales at intermission and the after-event through an agreed placement
- 2 screening tickets total
Prefer a digital route? Let’s discuss downloadable brand assets instead of physical product units.
Discuss Event PartnershipOr email info@420media.us$5,000
Event Partner benefits + presenting recognition
48 Hour Film Challenge presented by [Your Brand].
- Prominent event naming on promotional materials
- Theater sponsor recognition on the screening slate
- Host acknowledgment at the screening
- Physical or agreed digital integration route
- 2 screening tickets total
Your film continues beyond one night.
Every sponsor receives creative inclusion in at least one short film, with an online screening and continued online availability. Additional films are possible. Theater screening of your film depends on selection for the Top 20. Sponsor recognition at the event is separate from film selection.
Filmmakers retain creative control. At $2,500 and above, digital alternatives can be discussed in place of physical products. Sales opportunities depend on your product and event placement. Final deliverables, naming, display details and footage permissions are agreed before confirmation.
Combined social reach is an organizer estimate, not guaranteed campaign views or sales.
Let’s bring your brand into the story.
Book a sponsorship call with 420MEDIA or email us to discuss your placement.
One weekend.
Make something unexpected.
Bring your team. The brief arrives at Friday kickoff. From that moment, the clock is running.
Reveal & write
Find the story in the required elements. Write a script your team can bring to life before Sunday.
Shoot the film
Get the cameras rolling. Bring the story to life while your editor starts putting the pieces together.
Finish & submit
Edit, mix, export, and upload your completed film before the strict Sunday deadline.
How weird will you go?
Choose a genre, embrace the required elements, and make a film only your team could create.
4 minutes, 20 seconds. Maximum.
Your film may include up to 3 additional seconds of black at the end. Judges will look closely at how creatively your team uses the required elements.
Mark your calendar.
Team registration begins
Friday kickoff at 6:30 PM
Sunday film deadline at 6:30 PM
Top 20 live screening and awards in NYC
Selection notices are planned for January 15 through FilmFreeway.
Films.
One big
weird night.
The lights go down. The Top 20 take the screen. Filmmakers, brands, and film lovers come together to see what one wild weekend made possible.
From the first frame to the final award.
Two curated film blocks, red carpet interviews, filmmaker conversations, awards, and an after party. Venue, tickets, and program times will be announced when confirmed.
The story continues online.
Every eligible film submitted on time is judged, included in the online screening and remains available in the official online showcase. Only the Top 20 films also screen live in NYC. Selected winners are planned for a later Weird Short Films Festival screening.
A weekend of stories.
A night worth covering.
Follow teams as they turn kickoff requirements into finished films. Capture the creative risks, last minute decisions, and people behind the stories.
Then join us in NYC to cover the screening, filmmaker conversations, and winners. Let’s explore a media collaboration.
Explore Media PartnershipWhat your team needs to know.
- The competition and live screening are 21+. Every team member and attendee must be at least 21, with valid ID required at in person events. One team leader registers as the primary contact.
- Write, shoot, edit, and create original music within the 48 hour window. Previously recorded footage and AI generated creative work are not allowed.
- Obtain your own location permissions, talent releases, and rights to music and audio.
- Submit the final film by 6:30 PM on Sunday, January 10. Full delivery specifications will be provided to registered teams.
We can’t wait to see what you make.
Visit FilmFreeway for filmmaker registration, current entry pricing and full rules.