Phoenix Film Festival

Overview

The Phoenix Film Festival is Arizona's most important film festival. Founded in 2001 and held annually in April in Phoenix, the festival screens approximately 200 films from more than 30 countries over 10 days and is Academy Award-qualifying in its short film categories.

Phoenix's position as the fifth-largest city in the United States and the cultural center of the American Southwest gives the festival access to a large, diverse audience. The city's large Latino population and its proximity to the US-Mexico border create particular resonance for films addressing Southwest and Latin American culture.

The festival has built a reputation for quality programming and strong filmmaker support, including a Filmmaker in Focus program that provides development resources for emerging Arizona talent.

Key Sections

• Feature Film Competition -- narrative and documentary features
• Short Film Competition -- Academy Award-qualifying programs
• Arizona Film Competition -- films by Arizona-based filmmakers
• Documentary Competition -- nonfiction features
• Filmmaker in Focus -- emerging Arizona filmmaker program

What Filmmakers Should Know

Phoenix accepts open submissions. The Academy Award-qualifying short film competition is the most strategically important element. For Arizona and Southwest filmmakers, the festival provides the most important regional platform in the state.

Major Awards

• Best Narrative Feature -- jury prize
• Best Documentary
• Best Short Film -- Academy Award-qualifying
• Best Arizona Film
• Audience Award -- across categories

Festival History

The Phoenix Film Festival was founded in 2001 and has grown alongside Phoenix's expanding arts infrastructure into Arizona's premier film event.

See Also

For Southwest film culture, see Film Locations. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.