Jeff Clinkenbeard and Jaw are the co-founders of SATO48 — the Springfield/Ozarks 48 Hour Film Challenge — where teams write, shoot, and finish an original short film in a single weekend. What started after a 48-hour challenge they entered in New York has grown into a 22-year nonprofit built entirely around supporting filmmakers, not charging them. In this conversation, Duston sits down with both founders to talk about how they built it, why they refuse to compromise, and what keeps them running around after two decades.
We get into the early days and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks seed money that started it all, why the founders never judge the films themselves, the $35 entry fee and all-volunteer rule that keeps it open to anyone, and their hard line on free speech and not banning anything — including this year's decision to let filmmakers use AI. Jeff and Jaw also share success stories of Springfield and Southwest Missouri filmmakers who turned 48 hours into real careers, the community-sponsored prizes, the move to a five-minute fall festival, and the red-carpet awards night at the Gillioz.
This episode is part of the Ozarks Experience series — long-form conversations focused on the people behind the work shaping the Ozarks.