New Zealand's best film-makers had to start somewhere, and the 48-Hour Film Challenge has proven to be a valuable stepping stone.

Director Taika Waititi and comedian Te Radar entered the competition in 2004.

Now, it could be Hamilton film-makers making a name for themselves in the business.

The 48-Hour Film Challenge has been running for 14 years and selects the best regional short films in a number of categories. Winners go on to the national finals.

The challenge's Hamilton city manager Jacob Ngawaka took part in his first competition seven years ago.

He banded together a strong group of "filmies​" who were excited to begin - as long as they weren't given the musical genre.

On the announcement night, teams are given a genre, a line of dialogue, prop, and a character name they must use in their film.

By the luck of the draw, Ngawaka's group were told to make a musical.

"It was terrifying," he said.

"My clear favourite thing is actually getting to see the film you've made projected onto a screen in front of a bunch of other filmies. It's not always amazing but its amazing to be seen."

Ngawaka has been city manager for the last two years and each year has had around 50-55 teams participate.

He said it was a case of "the more the merrier" when it came to seeing new talent emerge.

"The biggest surprise for me was the talent that came from high schools.

"Just to see these young kids come through and have out-of-the-box ideas, and seeing them progress from year to year."

This time around, they are hoping more female filmies​ take part.

"Around 200 female directors throughout the country entered last year," Ngawaka said.

"We've got a real focus on getting female filmmakers more active this year."

They are also hoping entrants go mad on their story ideas.

The filming weekend will take place on August 25-27. Registrations close August 22.

The city final will be open to public to attend.