Corpus Christi 7 Day Film Project is the Filmmaking Event Series of the Year - The Bend Magazine

Corpus Christi 7 Day Film Project is the Filmmaking Event Series of the Year

Local filmmakers come together once a year to make a short film — with a few required curveballs — in just seven days.

Still from award-winning 2021 CC7D submission "In Waves."

Local actors, screenwriters, directors, boom operators, cinematographers, musicians, and creatives of all kinds come together once a year in the Coastal Bend for one sole purpose: to make remarkable movies in an even more remarkable amount of time. The Corpus Christi 7 Day Film Project, commonly referred to as CC7D, connects creatives within the filmmaking community to produce a short film from start to finish in just seven days’ time.

Founded in 2007, the film project and contest was designed to celebrate area filmmakers of all skill levels and create an avenue for more filmmaking activity in our area, boost the skill set of individual creatives, and provide resume experience for local filmmakers, actors, and crew. However, the most important part? Have fun in the name of filmmaking, but of course. The start of the CC7D season kicks off Wednesday, June 22 at House of Rock beginning at 6 pm with the City Wide Cast and Crew Call event.

“The City Wide Cast and Crew Call is designed to connect all interested parties in filmmaking together so that they can create their own dream team for the annual filmmaking contest that highlights Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend as a premier film destination,” said CC7D chair and co-founder Heidi Hovda via a press release.

The call is open and free to the public and serves as an opportunity for filmmakers to find team members, as well as give interested creatives looking to join a team the chance to find one. Actors and crew members are encouraged to bring a resume to the event to aid in finding a team. Two weeks after the call event, it’s off to the races.

The official start of the competition is July 6, with a kick-off event taking place at House of Rock at 6 pm. It is at this event that team leaders gather to register their team and receive their essential elements for the 2022 year. The turn-in time is announced and the film race begins. While entry into the event is free, each team must pay a $50 registration fee to participate in the competition.

Still from 2021 submission “In Waves,” from Sleight Productions. The film won Best Actress, Best Score, Best Cinematography, Best Filmmaker and took home the 1st place prize in the 2021 CC7D competition.

Filmmaking teams then have one week to make a short film from start to finish. The entire creative process — from writing a script to editing a final cut — must occur within the seven-day period. Filmmakers must also incorporate four essential elements — a line of dialogue, a character, and a prop, as well as a mysterious fourth element – into their film to have their film screened at the screening. These elements change each year, making it fun for CC7D viewers and participants alike to spot the elements when viewing the films. The clock each participant is looking to beat will metaphorically ring on July 13. Teams will rush to add the finishing touches to their films before the CC7D turn-in event at House of Rock. This event also serves as a fun time for participating filmmakers to swap stories and experiences from the week of filming.

On September 4, CC7D fans, competition participants, and film lovers in the community will have a chance to view each of the submitted films at the official CC7D screening event. In a festival/marathon-style, all qualifying films are shown in a premiere theater experience at Alamo Drafthouse Corpus Christi beginning at 1 pm. This is a ticketed event and is open to anyone. The final event in the CC7D season is the Award Ceremony to take place immediately following the screenings. CC7D teams and local film fans are invited to House of Rock to celebrate the films and the filmmaking community in the Coastal Bend. The CC7D Steering Committee announces the films that won Juried Awards, Acting Awards, and Element Awards at this event.

For more information on the CC7D film project, participation rules or to view past years’ participating films, visit the website.