The weekend of February 17 was sleepless for a bunch of high school students who made their way to Toronto's TIFF Lightbox on a very special mission. As part of TIFF's Next Wave Festival, they were among the 24 teams of teenagers who were challenged to make an entire short film, from writing to shooting to editing and music — all in 24 hours.

The TIFF Next Wave 24-Hour Film Challenge empowers students through film and gives young budding filmmakers a chance to see their efforts screened for an audience on the big screen, one week later. And in this video by CBC Arts correspondent April Aliermo, you'll meet one team as she follows them for the full duration of the event. What did they need to make their film? Key elements included a plaid shirt, energy drinks, and — strangely enough — the desire to get some homework done along the way.