The 2003 Competition attracted 279 teams of filmmakers from 40 states and 6 countries around the world.  Teams competed from as far away as Hawaii, Denmark, and Australia in the first round.  The movies were outstanding, and narrowing the field down to 24 teams was very difficult.  After screening and re-screening the top movies in each heat, heat winners were chosen and announced on September 23, 2003.

 

The 24 heat winners consisted of talented teams of filmmakers from all across North America.  They met in NYC  over the weekend of October 17-19 to compete in the final round of the competition and a chance at the $10,000 grand prize.  Representatives from the teams met at DV Dojo on Friday night to receive their 24-hour movie genre and subject.  Press and filmmakers jammed the room as the competition clock ticked towards midnight.

 

As the alarm went off to signal midnight, the teams opened their envelopes to reveal the final assignment of the competition : Genre - MYSTERY  Subject - AN UNWANTED GIFT.  The room quickly emptied with the final round underway. 

 

Innovative strategies came into play this year, as teams from Austin, TX and Detroit, MI produced their entire 24-hour movie in their hometowns and a representative uploaded the movie in Manhattan.  The bulk of the teams stayed in Manhattan and in the end, 22 of the 24 teams submitted their movies by midnight the following night.

 

     

 

Over 1,000 people attended the final round screenings of the first round movies, a documentary of the 2002 competition, and the completed 24-hour movies.  On Sunday, October 19, at United Artist's Battery Park Theater in Tribeca, the hard work of the filmmakers was shown on the big screen to a sold-out audience.  Due to unanticipated projection troubles which caused some films to appear dark, the final determination of the judging was postponed until later in the week to give every movie a fair viewing.

 

Congratulations to team ONE STEAK LEFT (New York, NY) and team representative Jason Ubaldi for capturing the Grand Prize and 1st Place in the 2003 competition.  Their film, "Drake's Cake", was about an office mate, who through the help of his alter ego, comes to the rescue of a damsel distressed over her Secret Santa gift.  Following close behind in second place was team TUSCAN NOMADS (Austin, TX) headed by team representative, Damon Chang.  Their film, "Visions", was set in the late 1880's where a simple country bafoon receives an unexpected gift from god to see into the future.