Winners and prizes from Modesto CA short film competition

It’s not easy to create an entire film in 48 hours, even one that runs five minutes or under.

An annual competition passed out kudos – and cash – to several people and groups who were successful.

Modesto’s 48 Hour Film Competition finale screening was held Friday, March 27, at the State Theatre, with winners and prizes announced.

Competition director and Modesto native Andrew Wong, director of San Francisco-based Re:Told Productions, hosted the event.

“Filmmaking is difficult enough as it is, so 48 hours is a monumental task,” he said in an email.

A total of 75 teams applied, with 67 films actually completed within the 48-hour window, according to Wong. The top 16 were screened at the State.

All but two of the winners were previously selected by eight judges. Those final two, for audience favorite and best actor, were chosen Friday night.

The audience picked “One More Time” by team Dubai Chocolate Labubu as its fave, with a cash prize of $500.

In it, a man tries to communicate with his fiancé as she questions their engagement. Feeling helpless, he resorts to using a mysterious clock to return to the beginning of the conversation to try to navigate it better.

The best acting performance went to Nicole Gutierrez who was a lead in the above-winning “One More Time,” taking in $400.

Here’s a look at the other 2026 winners and their prizes, with details submitted by Wong:

Best picture: “6PM Sharp” by Team Monkey Business (Logan and Sarah Miller), $800

This is the second consecutive year that the duo have taken home the top prize. In the film, a woman has just under an hour to help make her sister’s birthday perfect, but she keeps running into misfortune.

Best college film: “Graffiti Rock” from Team Invest in More Store! (Modesto Junior College), $500

It’s about a group of teens that ventures to a graffiti-covered rock in the hillside and makes an unsettling discovery.

Best youth film, high school and under: “First Impressions” — Team Ah Um (Hart Ransom Charter School), $500

In it, a high school boy finds a clock that allows him to travel back in time in short bursts, which he uses to redo a date over and over again in pursuit of the perfect first impression.

IDD spotlight — filmmakers, actors, and talent with intellectual disabilities: “We the Cheese” by Art Departed, $500

This short is a documentary about cooperative business models in the Bay Area. Chris Scheid and Julia Scheid took home this prize, as well as the prize for best film shot on a phone, also $500.

Some of the films can be seen online beginning Sunday, March 29, on the Modesto 48 Hour Film Competition YouTube page, www.youtube.com/channel/UCht4NkoCYaEbNFBzjDKiCcg.

Only films cleared for release will be available for viewing. Wong noted that some filmmakers have opted out of the online showing because they may submit their works to other film festivals.