Aravali AOTS 48HR 2025
Action On The Side and the Aravali International Film Festival with the Alliance Française de Delhi present The AOTS Aravali 48-Hour Film Competition
Our first collaboration with the Aravali International Film Festival in New Delhi, India.
The Competition ran 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT) Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd February 2025.
The Kick-Off Event ran 19:00-20:00 IST (13:30-14:30 GMT). It was held in two locations: at the Alliance Française de Delhi, New Delhi, India, and at OPEN Ealing, London, UK.
Teams could take part from anywhere in the world. We had two teams based in London, UK, and one in India.
The teams had to create a 5-7 minute short film in their allocated genre and incorporating the three random elements. The genres included a torch (prop), the line of dialogue "Listen up...", and a dolly zoom (shot or filmmaking technique).
The entries all premiered at the Aravali International Film Festival, 11:00 Sunday 6th April 2025. At the Awards Ceremony, Harish - one of the competing filmmakers - spoke to the audience about the competition. The competition-winning film was announced: If You Won't Act, Then Were You Even Here. The film will screen in November at the International Film Festival of the Hague in the Netherlands.
Important Information
for the teams who have signed up to the 48-Hour Film Competition
Join the Wix Group
Team Representatives
Click the link and join the Wix group. Access through the Spaces by Wix app or through this website.
Your team members can also join. This is where you will receive announcements and reminders before, during, and after the competition.
Before The Competition
Team
Get a team of people together to help make your film. You'll need cast, writer(s), filming and postproduction crew. Work out where your base will be and make sure they know what they've committed to.
Locations
Arrange potential locations in advance. Find interesting places. Discuss with them whether you can film there on the Saturday. Let them know you'll contact them on Friday night to confirm. Get the Location Release Form signed.
Equipment
Work out what you're filming on, who is supplying it, who is doing the editing and on what. Test the equipment to make sure it works. Best practice: do a test shoot a week before, to make sure you know your workflow.
The Release Form
Preproduction
Catering
An army marches on its stomach - so does a film crew! Make sure you're feeding your team and have caffeine and hot drinks at the ready.
Legalities
You need to ensure all members of your team and anyone else involved with your film signs the Release Form. This can be signed digitally or physically. Print copies or make a copy to distribute. Set up a cloud folder to save the signed release forms (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, Box). You'll use this for submission.
Create Accounts
Set up these up in advance!
Join the Wix Group
Submission will be via FilmFreeway
Rules and Regulations
Production Insurance
Picture this:
the boom swings a bit too far, a TV is knocked off a table and breaks - who pays to fix it?
you're filming in a car and there is an accident - who is liable?
the equipment is left unattended and a camera disappears - who is replacing it?
Production Insurance is a good thing to have.It is not a requirement, but it is strongly recommended.
If you do not already have media insurance, you can get insurance for the duration of the competition.
Action On The Side and Busy Kiwi Productions Ltd accept no liability.
You'll likely need Equipment Insurance, Public Liability Insurance (at least £5m), and Employers Liability Insurance (which covers volunteers, meaning your cast and crew).
Again, strongly recommended
The Kick Off
Where we announce the random elements and genres, and prepare you for the competition
These are the locations for the Aravali AOTS 48 Hour
Friday 21st February 2025
New Delhi, India
7pm-8pm IST at the Alliance Française de Delhi
72, KK Birla Ln, Lodhi Gardens, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi, Delhi 110003, India
London, UK
1.30pm-2.30pm GMT at OPEN Ealing
OPEN Ealing Arts Centre, Unit 14 School Ln, Dickens Yard, London W5 2TD
All other teams
Join us via Zoom - check your timezone!
Teams that miss the Kick Off can find the genre and random elements in the Wix Group when the competition starts
The Random Elements
Every team must include a specific prop, line of dialogue, and shot or filmmaking technique in their film. These are announced at the Kick-Off Event.
The Genres
Every team is allocated a specific genre. Their film must clearly be set within the genre.
These are allocated at the Kick-Off Event.
During the Competition
Photos
Take plenty of photos during the competition! Post them to social media with #aots48hr and tag @actionontheside
For Aravali, use #aravaliaots and tag @aravalifilmfest
Make sure you get a team photo and a photo for your poster.
Editing
Plan for your edit! Take notes of what you're shooting, make sure you leave enough space for transitions before you call cut, and picture the edit when planning shots.
You'll speed up your workflow if your Editor is working while you're shooting - that way, they can point out any shots you're missing, that you can get while you're still shooting.
Schedule
A schedule is going to to help you. Plan when you are going to do each part of the production, and set deadlines. Part of the challenge is working out when your team can catch some zzzzzz's.
Submission
Don't Panic!
Things can easily go wrong. Make sure you're exporting your video with enough time for rendering, uploading, and processing. Give it at least an hour before the deadline. Don't do it last minute!
FilmFreeway
FilmFreeway asks a lot of questions when you submit. You don't have to answer all of them. At a minimum, we need your film, the film's title, and a password to access it. The rest can be added after the film has been submitted.
Send the Film File
Once you have submitted to FilmFreeway, email us a link to download the film - WeTransfer, cloud storage (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, Box), or Vimeo (paid accounts allow downloads). Also email us a link to check your signed release forms.
Checklist
Has everyone signed the release form?
Make sure everyone involved in the film signs the release: all cast, all crew, the locations you filmed, and anyone who made something for it.
You may need to print copies or set it up so you can easily send it to people online. Adobe Acrobat or DocuSign are good for these. Set them up in advance.
Here is the link to the release form
Get digital copies of the signed forms. These could be pdfs or jpgs (as in, take a photo of the signed document). Put them in a cloud folder. Make sure the cloud folder has access enabled for anyone with the link.
Before Export
Does your film have good sound? Can we hear the dialogue? Have you mixed the music, sound effects, and dialogue?
Have you credited everyone? Did you send all of your team the credits so they can check their name is there, spelled correctly, and they have been credited for the correct role(s)?
Have you included the end card for at least 3 seconds?
Have you included a 5-second lead-in that includes, white arial text on black background, the Film Name, your Team Name, and the Genre?
Is the film the correct duration? at least 5 minutes long and no longer than 7 minutes (from after the lead-in until the end card graphic)
Is the genre clear? Are the random elements clear?
Upload
Upload your film to a video platform. It cannot be public. On Vimeo, make it password-protected. On YouTube, make it Unlisted.
Upload the finished film to a site where we can download it.
FilmFreeway
Have you created your profile page for the film? Have you included the access password? Is the film's title there?
What happens after we submit?
YAY! Well done!!!
We will download the films at 8pm. Don't change your video file after you submit - if you do, you will be disqualified.
You can update your FilmFreeway page after submission. Include your behind-the-scenes images, add a logline and synopsis, add details about your team and their roles, add a poster.
The judges will preview the submitted films to make a shortlist of films for screening. Keep an eye on your email for announcements.
If your film is selected, CONGRATULATIONS! Get your tickets to the screening.
If your film is not selected, still accept our Congratulations for getting it done! You can make your film public and we'll share it. Do get a ticket to the screening so you can see the films at the screening.
After the screening, all of the films can be made public, and the winners will receive their trophies!
Use FilmFreeway to submit your film to film festivals (more on that to come!)
After the Competition
Join our community
You and your team are welcome to join the AOTS Alumni group on Facebook and the AOTS Alumni group on this site. This is a group for previous participants in the AOTS Film Projects and competitions, and it's a great way to build your community.
Promotion
Share your behind-the-scenes stills, photos, and screengrabs with us in the Wix Group, and post them on socials, with #aots48hr and tagging @actionontheside
Film Festivals
Continue to submit your film to festivals using FilmFreeway. We'll be posting further tips and tricks on distribution in the Wix Group. Keep us up-to-date on your successes!
Your film's page
Your film has an allocated page on the Action On The Side website. Check it out in our Screening Room.
The entries premiered at the Aravali International Film Festival, Sunday 6th April 2025, 11:00-13:00
The winner of the competition was announced as
If you won't act, then were you even here
The films also screened in London, UK, at the Action On The Side Summer Screening Event, held at ActOne Cinema, Sunday 20th July 2025, 10:30am-12:30pm