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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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.


Finals: April 12, 2010
Screening Information
Film and Nominee Information

Summer Challenge: July 17-19, 2009
Summer Challenge Results
See Laura Durant's page for the photos.

Fall Challenge: November 6-8, 2009
Fall Challenge information
Fall Challenge Results
See Laura Durant's Page for the photos.

Winter Challenge: January 22-24, 2010
Winter Challenge information
Winter Challenge Results
Kick Off Photos
See Laura Durant's Page for the photos from the screening.



Guidelines:
35 Teams. 3-minute films. Genre, Prop, Line assigned at Friday night kick-off. Films turned in 48-Hours after kick-off. All completed films from registered teams will be screened. All completed films will be eligible for prizes. Judges are representatives of the AZ indie film community.

Prizes: Rounds
Certificates for Specialty Awards (Best Acting, Directing, Writing, Technical, Line and Prop + fun awards). Top 15 teams announced; top 5 move into the Spring Finals. Audience-voted favorite (from 6-35th place) moves into finals. Cash prizes: $250 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third. PLUS< 1st place from EACH round becomes an automatic selection to the 10th Anniversary 2010 Phoenix Film Festival!

Prizes: Finals
Best Picture (Overall Film)
The top five films and the audience favorite from each round-18 films total - will advance to the finals held at the 2010 Phoenix Film Festival. The grand prize Best Picture Winner, as voted on by the Phoenix Film Critics Society will win $1,000, a one-year IFP/PHX membership + more.

Specialty Awards
The Winners from each round in the respective categories (Best Director etc.) become the nominees for the finals. IFP Phoenix members vote on these awards and winners are presented with a trophy.

Best 48 Hour Team
The top 15 teams in each round receive points. The team with the most points at the end of the three rounds will be named Best 48-Hour Team, will receive a trophy and $500. Point distribution for each round: 1st-25 points; 2nd-22; 3rd-20; 4th-18; 5th-16; 6th-13; 7th-10; 8th-8; 9th-7; 10th-6; 11th-5; 12th-4; 13th-3; 14th-2; 15th-1.

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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.