Lights. Cameras. Cannabis.
48 Hours To Make It Weird!
A surprise product. A shared prop. The first spark of a story.
Weird Short Films and 420MEDIA bring filmmakers together with cannabis, hemp, and CBD brands for a 48 hour film challenge. The Top 20 screen live in NYC on January 30, with filmmaker conversations and awards.
Brands, be part of what they create. Put your product in an original short film, connect with filmmakers, and join the celebration with promotion and NYC screening recognition.
Friday reveals a shared prop, required dialogue line, and sponsor product. Your team decides how to weave them into an original story.
Give your brand
a story worth watching.
Be part of
the whole night.
Theater Sponsorship
Support the January 30 NYC screening, filmmaker Q&A, and awards.
Giveaways & Events
Contribute prizes or meet the audience through after party tabling.
Independent film.
Cannabis culture.
Shared creativity.
Weird Short Films and 420MEDIA are bringing fresh energy to the 48 hour filmmaking experience by connecting filmmakers with cannabis, hemp, and CBD brands.
The collaboration creates space for unexpected stories, gives cannabis more visibility in independent film, and carries that creative energy from Friday’s first idea to a shared NYC screening.
High Times covered the first festival’s winners and cannabis friendly creative culture.
Read the High Times featureOne 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 and featured in the official online showcase. The Top 20 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.
Registration is planned to open in mid October 2026. Come back for the submission link, entry pricing, and final rules.