READY FOR this spooky challenge?
The 48hr Halloween Puppet Film Project 2024 invites you to craft a 3min-or-less puppet films in just 48hrs, using action, item, and theme. All films will be reviewed by judges Frankie Cordero, Sarah Fornace, and Amanda Maddock!
The 48hrs will begin at 6pm PT / 9pm PT on October 11th, when we pull our required action, item and theme. This will be done live on our social media pages, and emailed to registrants. Using pre-built puppets is perfectly fine (bonus points if you built them), though we highly advise not using copyrighted music as it may get muted in the final screening.
Whether you’re a seasoned filmmaker or a first-time creator, this fast-paced Halloween-themed project will push your creativity to its limits! Submit your film and see it screened at a special online event on October 27th!
Meet Our 2024 Judges!
FRANKIE CORDERO
Credits include Donkey Hodie, Fraggle Rock: Rock On, and Sesame Street
SARAH FORNACE
Credits include Manual Cinema; NY Times' The Forger, Candyman (2021)
AMANDA MADDOCK
Credits include Crank Yankers, Slumberkins, Five Nights at Freddy's.
The 48hr Puppet Film Project is an annual event originally presented through the LA Guild of Puppetry, and now presented by Handmade Puppet Dreams and Griffin Eye Productions through originator and producer Alex U. Griffin. For the past two years, Handmade Puppet Dreams and Heather Henson has been proud to sponsor the event and give a little something extra to artists partaking in the challenge.
This event first started in 2018 as an effort to spark creativity-through-challenge within puppeteers and filmmakers in the LA area by giving them just 48hrs to create a short film using our randomly-drawn theme, object, and action. Since then, the event has gone international and attracts submissions from participants from around the world!
Past judges have included Kirk Thatcher (The Muppets, Dinosaurs), Tim Lagasse (Crash & Bernstein, Helpsters), Trish Sie (Step Up: All In, Pitch Perfect 3), Heather Henson (IBEX Puppetry, Handmade Puppet Dreams), Christine Papalexis (Team America: World Police, Amaterasu), Bill Watterson (Dave Made a Maze, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Sam Koji Hale (Alien X-Mas, Yamasong: March of the Hollows), Liz Hara (Sesame Street, Life in Pieces), Victor Yerrid (Earth to Ned, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), Alva Rogers (the doll plays, Daughters of the Dust), Liz Hara (Sesame Street, Life in Pieces), Jean Marie Keevins (The Muppets, Helpsters), Pam Severns (Jim Henson: In His Own Words, Bunny Love), Rudy Martinez (Dear White People, Jane the Virgin, Ham), and Tyler Bunch (Bear in the Big Blue House, Pokemon, Sesame Street).