WEST LIBERTY — West Liberty University’s Department of Media and Visual Arts will host the annual WLU 48-Hour Film Festival, a fast-paced creative competition that challenges student filmmakers to take a project from “script to screen” in just two days.

The festival kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday in the WLU Media Arts lobby with a public screening of completed films at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at Waterfront Hall in downtown Wheeling.

Sponsored by Wheeling Heritage, Pete Holloway, John Bonassi Class of ’69, Connie Thompson and West Liberty University, the event is open to all WLU students (any major) and area high school students. Teams will draw a genre, a required line of dialogue, a character profile, and a prop at the kickoff; all elements must appear in the final 6- to 10-minute film. Cash prizes will be awarded, including recognition for genre adherence and creative use of the required elements.

Registration is open through the kickoff (pre-registration preferred). Students can preview past winners – including 2024’s “Stay Dead” (College) and “The Silence of the Forest” (High School) – to see what’s possible in just 48 hours. Complete information and rules are available at westliberty.edu/media-visual-arts/filmfest/.

For more information, contact Thompson at jared.thompson@westliberty.edu or 304-336-5523.