At Bucknell University, some weekends are spent studying, some are spent celebrating, but this one is about storytelling. On October 24, the campus will once again transform into a living film set as the Bucknell Film Club launches its 48-Hour Film Challenge, with this year marking an exhilarating collaboration with the Weis Center for the Performing Arts that dares students to write, shoot, and edit an entire short film within just two days.
The challenge begins with a mandatory prop reveal at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 24, at the Weis Center. The props are random, sometimes ridiculous, and always creative. This year’s theme, “Spooky Trees,” coinciding with the Trees Series at the Weis Center, sets the tone for an eerie yet playful weekend. As co-president Iaroslava Polusmak ’28 said with a smile, “It’s all about having fun.”
Participants receive their props and themes on the spot, with no preparation time. From that moment, the countdown begins. Teams have until Sunday evening to produce a complete film of three to five minutes, ready for screening on Tuesday, October 28, at 7 p.m. at the Weis Center.
“There’s something incredibly special about watching creativity unfold under pressure,” said Jack Royal ’27, the club’s other co-president. “You don’t have time to overthink, you just create.”
Jack recalls his own experience from last year’s spring challenge, when the theme centered on nature. He approached it through the lens of human nature, using the idea metaphorically to explore change and connection. “You can interpret the theme however you want,” he explained. “Literal, emotional, symbolic, it’s really open.”
Though three prizes are up for grabs — Best Film, Best Use of Prop, and Best Creative Vision — the co-presidents insist that the weekend is more about collaboration than competition.
“It’s not about winning,” said Iaroslava. “It’s about seeing how differently people interpret the same starting point. Everyone brings something unique to the table.”
The judging panel features names well known across Bucknell’s arts community: Rachel Martine from the Weis Center, Rebecca Meyers from the Film and Media Studies department, Meyer Rosen, the club’s treasurer, and Professor Josie Torres Barth, a film professor at Bucknell. Together, they evaluate entries based on creativity, storytelling, and how meaningfully participants incorporate the prop and theme.
The top prize, $50 in Lewisburg Dollars to spend on Market Street, is a fun incentive, but the framed posters given to all participants serve as lasting keepsakes of their achievement.
In the lead-up to the challenge, the Film Club partnered with L&IT to host a technical workshop introducing participants to Bucknell’s filmmaking resources. Students learned how to rent professional cameras, tripods, and lighting kits from the library and the Marts Hall studio, while those without prior film experience were encouraged to use their phones.
“We wanted to make it accessible,” said Jack. “You don’t need to be a film major to participate. If you have a story to tell, that’s all that matters.”
Indeed, the challenge attracts a diverse mix of participants, from seasoned film majors to curious first-years and students from entirely different disciplines. “It’s the only time of the semester when everyone gets to play filmmaker,” Iaroslava added.
Still, the 48-hour timeline poses real challenges. “Editing is always the toughest part,” Jack admitted. “You can plan everything perfectly, but once you start cutting, time just disappears.”
For the Bucknell Film Club, this event is far more than a weekend project. It is the heartbeat of the organization. The club has a long history, but in recent years, its most defining tradition has become the Spring Film Challenge, an event that has grown into a campus favorite.
“In the past, the club’s screenings were held in different spaces on campus, but over the last two years, we’ve been able to bring the experience fully into the Campus Theatre,” said Jack. “That partnership has made all the difference. It feels cinematic, like a true celebration of student storytelling.”
The club also organizes Tuesday screenings, hosts discussions on short films, and curates creative showcases throughout the semester. Yet nothing compares to the energy and spontaneity of the 48-Hour Film Challenge, the laughter, the long nights, the teamwork, and the moment of pride when students see their finished film on the big screen.
At its core, the 48-Hour Film Challenge embodies the spirit of creativity at Bucknell. “College life can be so structured and busy,” said Iaroslava. “This gives people the chance to do something just for fun, to make something together.”
Jack agreed. “It reminds us that storytelling doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters is the connection, the honesty, the process of making something that feels alive.”
Both presidents emphasize that the event is open to everyone, no experience required and no team necessary. Students simply need to show up at 7 p.m. this Friday at the Weis Center, register, and dive in.
“The only rule,” Jack said with a grin, “is that your film has to include a tree.”
In the end, the 48-Hour Film Challenge is less about prizes and more about what it represents: a burst of shared creativity, a weekend of connection, and a reminder that storytelling belongs to everyone.
“It’s easy to forget how much joy there is in creating,” said Iaroslava. “You spend two days filming, editing, laughing, and learning, and then you get to watch it all come alive. That’s something you carry with you.”
So if you’ve ever dreamed of making a film or simply want to spend a weekend doing something unforgettable, grab your camera, gather your friends, and meet at the Weis Center this Friday.
Because at Bucknell, you don’t just watch stories unfold. You make them.