Exciting 37 hour challenge screening comes to New Jersey this March

One of the things I absolutely love about living in New Jersey is the shear amount of talent we have here in the state. From singers to dancers and everything in between, there's never a shortage of genuine Jersey talent.

The same can also be said for our very talented filmmakers. Throughout the state we see all types of films being produced by incredible Jersey talent. Again, it's one of the aspects of living in the Garden State that I absolutely love, and I know you do too.

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Speaking of film, here's something really cool. Smodcastle Cinemas, the historic movie theater in Atlantic Highlands owned by Jersey's own Kevin Smith, recently hosted an incredible challenge for those filmmakers who are up for it.

And now, it's time for us to watch those creations.

The 37 hour challenge

This challenge is all about those short films, but here's the catch. Those who participated only had 37 hours to make their film. That's from A to Z, and the film was not allowed to exceed four minutes and 30 seconds.

According to Film Freeway, details had to "appear in the film, including a prop, a character name and a line of dialogue chosen" from a film by Keven Smith. And yes, filmmakers will only had 37 hours to create their masterpiece from start to finish.

So how did they do? If you're curious, here's when you can stop by to watch the short films that took part in the 37 hour challenge.

When to watch

The short film must be written, shot, and produced between 10 a.m. on Feb. 28 through 11 p.m. on March 1. And if you win, your short film will be featured at Smodcastle Cinemas before the main attraction for a week, and will also be featured on Kevin Smith's YouTube channel. How cool is that?

The event date to see the top finalist films will take place on Saturday, Mar.21, 2026. And get this. The winning short film will be featured at Smodcastle Cinemas before the main attraction for a week, and will also be featured on Kevin Smith's YouTube channel. How cool is that?

All the details of this amazing challenge can be found here. Good luck to all those Jersey filmmakers who participated in the challenge. It's going to be amazing to watch.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.