The world’s largest timed filmmaking competition, the 48 Hour Film Project, is coming back to Richmond in a few weeks.

On July 17, teams will race to produce short films from start to finish over the course of that one weekend — bringing plenty of creativity, friends and caffeine.

It’s been called something of a “rite of passage” for local filmmakers and it’s open to anyone. The winner of the global competition gets $5,000 and the opportunity to take their film to Hollywood and screen it at Cannes in 2016.

Ellie St. John, a producer with the competition, told me that one of her favorites last year (a western, “No Mercy”) was made by the Richmonders from the Pixel Drop team and wound up as first runner-up. You can watch it below. She adds that local filmmaker and Foo Fighter fan, Lucas Krost, has made at least one (if not two) 48HFP films that have screened at Cannes. Apparently Richmond kicks butt in this thing.

From the press release, here’s how it works:

“On Friday, July 17th, each team will draw a movie genre from a hat. They will also be assigned a character, prop, and line of dialogue that must be incorporated into their film. The teams then have 48 hours to write, direct and shoot their film, which must be submitted on Sunday, July 19th before 7:30pm on the dot. The films will then all screen at the Byrd Theatre on July 25th and 26th with the Best Of Screening on Sunday, August 2nd.

The Richmond 48HFP winners receive national prizes of Movie Magic Screenwriting Software and Pond5 gift certificates.”