2025 24/7 CompetitionMembers of our international Experimental Fiction Filmmaking community make a short experimental fiction film in just one week based on a set of creative limitations. The best films will be screened at the 2025 Experimental Fiction Film Festival on 19th July at Cultplex in Manchester, where the audience will have a chance to vote for the best film. All films will be included in the 2025 INEFF Conference on 17th and 18th July. 41 filmmakers have applied. 6 films have been shortlisted. See a shortlist for this year's festival below. |
What is a creative limitation?
Creative limitations are rules that restricts the filmmaker in some way in their process or how they tell and show their story. The creative limitation restricts the creative options available, which is freeing in it its own right. Even more importantly, the creative limitation has the potential to inspire creativity through complicating, transforming or derailing the content or form of the film, but also by opening up the productive world of connotation and ambiguity.
The creative limitation can also free the filmmaker from being preoccupied with perfection and production values, and opens up opportunities for experimentation and innovation. Furthermore, creative limitations inspire a greater focus on methods and process, rather than being too committed to a specific outcome from the outset. In other words, it creates a space for the discovery of the outcome rather than the filmmaker focusing primarily on executing an idea or a plan. |
2025 Competition Rules
For the 2025 competition, we asked the participating filmmakers to combine the following three types of creative limitations:
– One focused on the connotative theme of the narrative, which can be interpreted in any way. This must be the title of the film.
– One focused on technical or formal aspects.
– And one concerned with specific words to be present in the film. The two sentences don't have to appear in sequence or can be placed in reverse order.
– One focused on the connotative theme of the narrative, which can be interpreted in any way. This must be the title of the film.
– One focused on technical or formal aspects.
– And one concerned with specific words to be present in the film. The two sentences don't have to appear in sequence or can be placed in reverse order.
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“abstract theme” creative limitations
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dialogue, voice-over, or on-screen text
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creative/technical limitations
- Only use still frames, with no shot longer than 3 seconds
- Only use slow-motion, with no shot longer than 10 seconds
- Only use vertical top-down 90-degree angles in your film, with the camera looking straight down, from whichever height
It is especially the interaction between the three different creative limitations, which simultaneously exert some force on the creative process, that has the potential for inspiring unique outcomes.
2025 24/7 Competition shortlist
These films will be shown in the concluding part of our Main Festival event at 7:30pm on Saturday 19th July at Cultplex.
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Emilia Pauline Gili
Manchester, United Kingdom Wonderful Disaster Only use still frames, with no shot longer than 3 seconds Mistakes are low-hanging fruit. ––– I don’t like apples |
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Stuart Pound
London, United Kingdom Victory and Shame Only use still frames, with no shot longer than 3 seconds Who do you think you are? ––– I never ask that question |
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Abdullah Alfazeena and Jothi Keerthana
Tamil Nadu, India Victory and Shame Only use vertical top-down 90-degree angles in your film, with the camera looking straight down, from whichever height Who do you think you are? ––– I never ask that question |
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Holly Royce
Manchester, United Kingdom Wonderful Disaster Only use still frames, with no shot longer than 3 seconds Mistakes are low-hanging fruit ––– I don’t like apples |
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Vron Harris (written by Stephen Chester)
London, United Kingdom Victory and Shame Only use still frames, with no shot longer than 3 seconds Who do you think you are? ––– I never ask that question |
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Felix Still
Manchester, United Kingdom Learning to Fly Only use slow-motion, with no shot longer than 10 seconds Who do you think you are? ––– I never ask that question |
2024 Competition
For the 2024 competition, we asked the participating filmmakers to combine the following three types of creative limitations:
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creative/technical limitations •A single take (there are no cuts in your film) •All shots in the film precisely one second long •Only use Extreme close-up shots in your film |
“abstract theme” creative limitations •Secret Connection •Behind the Closed Door •Foolish Desire |
dialogue, voice-over, or on-screen text “We know nothing about the future. Or the past.” “I have no strength left. Maybe I love you.” “You just play with me. I’m not a toy.” |
While the competition itself is an experiment, with unpredictable outcomes, we believe that all the films submitted to our competition clearly show the value of creative limitations to experimental fiction filmmaking.
2024 Competition films
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Joe Reyntiens and Damian Lopez
United Kingdom "You just play with me. I'm not a toy." Abstract theme creative limitation: Behind the Closed Door Creative/technical limitation: All shots one second long |
COMPETITION WINNER |
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Naomi Aiwekhoe Oghomwen
United Kingdom "We know nothing about the future. Or the past." Abstract theme creative limitation: Foolish Desire Creative/technical limitation: Only use Extreme Close-up Shots |
RUNNER UP |
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Annika Boholm & Kersti Grunditz Brennan
Sweden/Belgium "You just play with me. I'm not a toy." Abstract theme creative limitation: Behind the Closed Door Creative/technical limitation: Only use Extreme Close-up Shots |
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Celia Bennett
United Kingdom "We know nothing about the future. Or the past." Abstract theme creative limitation: Behind the Closed Door Creative/technical limitation: All shots one second long |
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Tom Bridger
United Kingdom "We know nothing about the future. Or the past." Abstract theme creative limitation: Behind the Closed Door Creative/technical limitation: Only use Extreme Close-up shots |
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Samaré Gozal
Czechia/Germany Sound design by Armin Mell "We know nothing about the future. Or the past." Abstract theme creative limitation: Behind the Closed Door Creative/technical limitation: Only use Extreme Close-up shots |
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Cole Miles
United Kingdom "We know nothing about the future. Or the past." Abstract theme creative limitation: Behind the Closed Door Creative/technical limitation: A single take |
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Satyajeet Rajenimbalkar
India "I have no strength left. Maybe I love you." Abstract theme creative limitation: Foolish Desire Creative/technical limitation: All shots one second long |
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Joe Pellow
United Kingdom "You just play with me. I'm not a toy." Abstract theme creative limitation: Behind the Closed Door Creative/technical limitation: All shots one second long |
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Khushi Gupta
India "I have no strength left. Maybe I love you." Abstract theme creative limitation: Secret Connection Creative/technical limitation: All shots one second long |
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