Retreat by Shon Harris was one of the past Flash Film Festival submissions. Photo courtesy of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) – Following on the success of its past, highly successful, Flash Film Festivals, Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture is pleased to announce another opportunity for local filmmakers to strut their stuff. This year’s Yuba-Sutter Flash Film Festival will once again offer filmmakers, from amateur to professional, the opportunity to rise to a new type of cinematic challenge. Create a short film, six minutes or less in length from start to finish in just 48 hours. 

Filmmakers may pre-assemble their team of actors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, grips, editors and musicians. However, film topics will be drawn at random at the start of the 48-hour period. The rules are simple. At a random drawing, each participating team will be assigned a topic for their film and will be given additional required elements that must appear in their film. These include a designated prop, an assigned line of dialogue and a minimum of two actors. 

The required prop must be seen on-screen. A picture of the required prop is also allowable. The required line of dialogue must be used verbatim. It may be spoken, sung and/or written. To qualify as an official entry, each group's film must be about the subject it selects, must contain all required elements and be within the official time limit of six minutes.

At previous Flash Film Festival editions, Innocence by Shamaya Sutton, was one of the submissions. Photo courtesy of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture

There will be an Information Session Pre-event Meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. in the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts. This will be the opportunity to have questions answered, learn more about the festival and sign up.  Each participating team must then have a representative at the official kickoff event for the Flash Film Project at 6 p.m. on Friday Sept. 12.

Each group will receive the subject of its film at that time along with the other required elements at the meeting. There is no entry fee for filmmakers to participate. The complete official rules for the Flash Film Festival can be found at yubasutterarts.org.

The films are due on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m.  All qualified entries in the festival will be shown on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m., at the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts, 754 Plumas St. in Yuba City.  

Films will be judged based on engaging and interesting stories, camera technique, understandable audio, thoughtful lighting and editing transitions and use of music to create mood.  Cash prizes are $500 for first place, $300 second place and $200 for third place.

The Flash Film Festival is a project of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture, the local affiliate of the CA Arts Council dedicated to expanding opportunities and access for artists and audiences. 

“Lights, camera, action!”  The rest is up to you.  Plenty of free parking is available on the streets adjacent to the Center. For more information about this event and other YSAC 2025 programs, call 530-742-ARTS or email [email protected].