Film Challenges

IFP/PHX offers Film Challenges throughout the year with a variety of programs. While there are other Film Challenges out there that look alike, IFP/PHX's are the ONLY ones where the winner is an AUTOMATIC SELECTION to the next Phoenix Film Festival. Entry fees are low and the competition is high.

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2010-2011 Film Challenge:

The Beat the Clock Challenge: 48-Hour Edition is a competition with two major prizes at stake: Best Overall Film and Best 48-Hour Team. There are three rounds of 48 Hour Challenges held over the course of eight months. Each round has its own screening and award winners in addition to the year-round competition.


SUMMER ROUND
July 16-18, 2010
Screening: Friday, July 23, 2010

FALL ROUND
Nov 12-14, 2010
Screening: Tuesday, Nov 23 (tentative)

WINTER ROUND
January 14-16, 2011
Screening: Thursday, January 27 (tentative)


MORE INFO

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2009-2010 Film Challenge:

The Beat the Clock Challenge: 48 -Hour Edition is a competition with two major prizes at stake: Best Overall Film and Best 48-Hour Team. There are three rounds of 48 Hour Challenges held over the course of eight months. Each round has its own award winners in addition to the year-round competition.

In addition to the announced awards, IFP/PHX was also pleased to announce additional awards! One film, from the Top 18 was chosen to screen at Harkins this summer thanks to Harkins and Screenvision. And, 12 films were selected by Phoenix Comicon to screen at the 2010 Festival!
More info.

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2008-2009 Film Challenge:

The BEAT THE CLOCK film challenge is a combination of all of our previous challenges. Three separate challenges will be held - Summer (48-Hour), Fall (36-Hour) and Winter (24-Hour) with the Top 5 films from each of these squaring off in the Spring Finals round at at IFP/PHX's screening at the 2009 Phoenix Film Festival. In addition, one "audience favorite" from each screening will advance to the finals. Certificates, specialty awards and plaques will continue to be awarded. But the grand prize is bigger than ever - $1000 to the winner, a free IFP/PHX membership, AUTOMATIC selection to the 2010 Phoenix Film Festival and more. More info.

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2007-2008 Film Challenge:

The FOUR SEASONS film challenge is a combination of all of our previous challenges. Three separate challenges will be held - Summer (48-Hour), Fall ("Buddy Films") and Winter ("New Year's Resolution") with the Top 5 films from each of these squaring off in the Spring Finals round at at IFP/PHX's screening at the 2008 Phoenix Film Festival. Certificates, specialty awards and plaques will continue to be awarded. But the grand prize is bigger than ever - $1000 to the winner, a free IFP/PHX membership, AUTOMATIC selection to the 2009 Phoenix Film Festival AND the 2009 Sedona Film Festival. Plus more prizes to be announced. FOUR SEASONS FILM CHALLENGE

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2006-2007 Film Challenge:

The second season the the 30-minute television show SCREEN WARS aired from January-April 2007. 30 films were selected to compete with 10 films moving into the semi-finals and 5 into the finals. More information.
2007 48-Hour Film Challenge

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2005-2006 Film Challenges:
The Spring Film Challenge was held right before the Phoenix Film Festival. The genre varies and the top films are all screened as part of the IFP/PHX showcase at the Festival. A selection committee chooses the winners and a plaque is given to the Best Film, as well as that automatic selection to the next Festival. IFP/PHX also recognizes Best Acting (Male, Female, Ensemble), Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Editing and Best Cinematography with certificates.

The Annual 48 Hour Film Challenge, held in July, limits the team entries to 33 and varies the genre, line and prop every year. Unlike other 48-Hour challenges, the entry fee is low, the organization is a non-profit and the winner is an automatic selection to the Phoenix Film Festival. After the challenge concludes on Sunday night, two back-to-back screenings are held at Harkins Centerpoint the following week. Like the Spring Film Challenge, prizes are given in a variety of categories. In addition, first place receives a cash prize. 48 Hour Film Challenge.

In 2005, IFP/PHX launched a groundbreaking television show called SCREEN WARS. It is a televised version of the popular film challenges, but with the public choosing the winners via an on-line vote. The winning films become automatic selections to either the Phoenix Film Festival or the International Horror/Sci-Fi Film Festival with all Screen Wars selected films becoming automatic submissions to those festivals. In 2005, nine films that were showcased on Screen Wars were selected to the Festivals! Stay tuned for information on the second season of Screen Wars.

All film challenges require films submitted to be three-minutes in length and on Mini-DV.