Judging
The judging is always something that competitors want to all know the nitty gritty about and it's very understandable with what's at stake. Please take heart, we here at 48Hours HQ play the fairest and most just game in town.
There is never any favouritism at any stage of the competition. Just ask all our friends who have failed to make the finals over the years.
The judging process works like this:
Audience Favourites - Audiences vote on their favourite film in each heat - Audience winners are announced on Facebook and the website.
Regional Finals - Regional Managers create a shortlist from the region's entries. Judges watch the shortlisted films. Judges then vote on these to decide the winners.
National Finals - The best short films from around the country are shortlisted by the National Management team. Judges watch the shortlisted films. Judges then vote on these to decide the winners.
Sir Peter Jackson Wildcards - Sir Peter Jackson will be personally selecting three special wildcard films for the National Final.
There are between five and ten judges per region.
2026 Judging Criteria
Below is a list of the key areas that our team uses to judge your film:
STORY (is King)
- Originality of the idea
- Innovative storytelling
- Satisfying narrative and ending
- Well developed characters
PRODUCTION
- Execution of your idea
- Resourcefulness - using what you have
- Technical craft
- Actor performances
- Created by you (We take your efforts into account - e.g. you compose all the music, don’t rely on generative AI or build a set from scratch)
GENRE AND ELEMENTS
- How well you use your genre, whether it's exploiting well known tropes or subverting your assigned genre.
- Innovative use of the required elements in your story
AUDIENCE
- Entertainment value
- The films' ability to stand out from the crowd
THAT SOMETHING SPECIAL
- Creative bravery and risk-taking. We welcome films that surprise us.