Welcome to

POW
417

Proof of Work
A 48-Hour Human Film Gathering
Springfield, MO

Coming 2026 — TBA
001 — What This Is

Not a
competition.
A coming
together.

POW417 is a 48-hour film gathering built around one simple idea: what happens when people actually show up and make something real, together, by hand?

No rankings. No trophies. No algorithm. Just crews, cameras, and the clock. Every team gets the same prompt, the same deadline, and the same constraints. What you do with it is entirely yours.

We built this because the 417 deserves a film event that respects the craft. One that says the human eye, the human hand, and the human story still matter — maybe more than ever.

002 — The Format

48 Hours.
One Prompt.
Make a Film.

Hour 00 — Kickoff
The Prompt Drops
Everyone receives the same creative brief at the same moment. Genre, a required line of dialogue, and a prop. From here, it's all you.
Hours 01–12 — Pre-Pro
Write & Prep
Develop your concept, write your script, scout locations, cast your crew. Organize the chaos. This is where your film starts to exist.
Hours 12–36 — Production
Shoot It
Roll camera. Everything is practical — real locations, real light, real performances. No AI-generated anything touches this frame.
Hours 36–48 — Post
Cut & Deliver
Edit, mix, color, and deliver. Human hands on every frame. Submission is final. The clock is the great equalizer.
After — Screening
We Watch Together
Every film screens publicly. Every crew gets seen. No winners, no losers — just filmmakers in the same room watching what 48 hours produced.
003 — The Rules
The
Only
Rules
That
Matter

These aren't restrictions.
They're the whole point.

01
No AI. Not Even a Little. Non-Negotiable
No AI-generated images, voice, scripts, music, visual effects, or any tool that uses generative AI in any part of your pipeline. This means no Midjourney, no Sora, no ChatGPT scripts, no AI voice-overs, no AI color grading plugins. Human made means human made. If you wouldn't be proud to explain exactly how something was made, don't use it.
02
All Footage Shot in the 48 Hard Rule
Every frame of your film must be captured during the official 48-hour window. Stock footage is not permitted. If it wasn't shot this weekend, it doesn't go in the cut.
03
Use the Prompt Core
Every film must incorporate the required genre, the required prop, and the required line of dialogue. These are revealed at kickoff and are the same for everyone. This is the creative constraint that makes all films comparable.
04
5 Minutes Maximum Core
Your finished film — credits included — must not exceed 5 minutes. Short constraints force real decisions. Own every second.
05
Show Up for the Screening Expected
This isn't a drop-box event. Being present at the screening is part of the deal. We make films together, we watch them together. That's what makes this different.

004 — Get Involved

You In?

Drop your email and we'll reach out with dates, details, and how to register your crew. All skill levels. All cameras.