Fine Arts

NXNW Film Festival

NXNW High School Film Festival

The Opportunity

The NXNW Film Festival is a an opportunity for high school students to express their creativity in film and to see their work on the big screen! Open to any high school student whether public, private or homeschooled. Follow the submission guidelines and requirements below and our team of judges will select the finalists to be shown at our event on January 20th in Phoenix, Arizona. We are looking for “God Honoring” films of any genre or style!

Content Requirements

In our view, “God honoring films” does not mean they must have a spiritual message. While we encourage followers of Jesus to be bold in expressing their faith in films, the options are wide open. It’s perfectly acceptable to tell a story that is merely a “slice of life” drama or a comedy that isn’t “religious” at all. Any story that reflects life as you see it or gets people laughing is honoring to the Creator of the universe who made us creative beings!
That being said, there are some guiding principles we ask that you consider as you create your film:

    • No profanity
    • No sexually explicit content or imagery
    • No excessive portrayals of gratuitous violence (gunshots, gore)
    • No excessive horror (Monsters, demons, scary images)
    • No blasphemy (dishonoring the name of God or Jesus)
Keep in mind that this festival is attended by families with small children and if your film is too mature we will be forced to disqualify it.

    Eligibility and Submission Guidelines

    Those wishing to enter the NXNW Film Festival must read and acknowledge the following requirements:

      1. Each film must be submitted by a high school student during the 2020-2021 school year.
      2. Each film should be submitted in digital format (.mov or .mp4).
      3. Each entry should be accompanied by the NXNW Submission Form and applicable NXNW Creative Works Form. A Creative Works Form must be individually and uniquely signed by each individual who contributed their time and talent in any way in the production of the short film.
      4. The submission must be entirely student directed, produced, and edited.
      5. The submission must not exceed 5 minutes in length.
      6. The submission must represent an original concept or idea.
      7. The submission must align properly with the film festival’s content statement in the view of the judges.
      8. The creative team submitting the digital short accepts all licensing responsibility for any copyrighted material contained within the film.
      9. The content and ideas put forward by students as part of their film festival submission will remain the property of the students. However, the copy of the submission, in whatever form it is provided, becomes the property of the NXNW Film Festival for use defined in the student release form. As part of this, participants should understand that their film will be made available to the public via an online platform for an indeterminate period of time.

    Copyright and Fair Use Guideline

    As students you may use a certain amount of copyrighted material in the creation of your films: Copyright law allows for 10% of a copyrighted work to be used without obtaining permission. That's the equivalent of 30 seconds of music if a song is 5 minutes long.

    Judging and Awards

    Finalists are eligible for cash prizes from two sources: A Jury Vote by a team of media professionals and an Audience Favorite Vote held on the night of the festival. 

    Submission Information

    Films may be submitted as a downloadable link to Damon Evans or on a physical USB drive delivered to Northwest Christian School at the address below. Please include a submission form with each entry.

    Northwest Christian School
    16401 N. 43rd Avenue
    Phoenix, AZ 85053
    Submission Deadline: TBD


    16401 N. 43rd Ave., Phoenix, 85053
    Main: 602.978.5134
    Absence: 602.978.6953
    Email