The creators of Australian 24-hour filmmaking festival The ShootOut are launching their first American version in Colorado on Oct 22.

Shoot Out Boulder entrants will have 24 hours in which to write,cast and shoot a short film without any editing that must be no longer thanseven minutes. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the cycle.

Shoot Out director Kristi Street, one of the co-founders of theoriginal version set up in New South Wales in 1999, said Colorado was at thevanguard of an international expansion plan.

"Our aim is to have The Shoot Out event in one regional city ineach state of Australia by 2005 and at least three international locations,"Street said in a statement.

"We have been looking for regional cities that want to broadentheir profile, as well as support and attract young emerging filmmakers toshowcase their community.

"Geelong [Victoria, Australia, in Easter 2005], Toowoomba[Queensland, Australia, in October 2005] and Boulder fit the bill perfectly. Ontop of convenient filmmaking locations, their universities and industry make iteconomically viable to run The Shoot Out.

Street added she was concluding talks to launch a New Zealandfranchise in Hamilton in September 2005 and beyond that there were plans tobroaden the festival's US presence.