The Film Lab Unveils Theme for 20th Annual 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition

The Film Lab announced the theme of the most electrifying and boundary-breaking filmmaking competition of the year: The 72 Hour Shootout ("Shootout"). Idealist hosted the live launch party on Thursday, June 6th. Filmmakers gathered in New York City and virtually worldwide to celebrate the power of film in amplifying underrepresented voices, stories, and creativity on a global stage.

In the Shootout, filmmakers have 72 hours to create films based on a common theme, while incorporating a specific symbol into their story. When Idealist CEO Ami Dar announced this year's theme, 'Practical Dreamer' the countdown clock began ticking.

"Idealist is rooted and guided by practical dreaming," stated Dar. "We are so excited to see how these talented filmmakers express this beautiful concept in their own creative ways."

This annual extravaganza celebrates diversity, empowers underrepresented voices -- with a specific focus on Asian American stories - and challenges the status quo in the entertainment industry. The Film Lab's 20th Annual Launch Party featured giveaways, speeches, red carpet photos, and custom Lunar Seltzer "Dan Dan" cocktails.

Jennifer Betit Yen, actor and President of The Film Lab, spoke to the artists about using film to "Give power, and to share power with those not born to it in our society."

Prizes for the 72 Hour Shootout are designed to support filmmakers' careers long after the competition ends. During the launch party Tyler Ham Pong, actor and Film Lab Secretary, reminded filmmakers of the prizes they could win and thanked the judges and sponsors.

The top ten Shootout films will premiere at the Asian American International Film Festival this summer, and the top fifty will be featured in The Film Lab's highly acclaimed TV series, Film Lab Presents, which will air in the fall of 2024 on CrossingsTV, while the top one hundred films will be shown on YouTube.com/AsAmFilmLab.

Shootout judges include Marci Phillips (VP, ABC Primetime Casting), Jandiz Estrada Cardoso (Sundance Institute), Antony Wong (Program Coordinator, Asian American / Asian Research Institute of The City University of New York), Daniel Sakaya (CrossingsTV), and more.

Lunar Seltzer, Idealist, New York State Council for the Arts, New York City Cultural Development Fund, Asian CineVision, New York Women in Film and Television ("NYWIFT"), The Cre8sian Project, ScriptHop, Jersey Kool, and BATSU! are among the sponsors of this year's competition.

For more information on The Film Lab and 72 Hour Shootout, please visit www.film-lab.org and follow @AsAmFilmLab for updates.