From the Director's Chair

Tombstone Film Festival Launches $20K Western Pitch Competition

The Tombstone Film Festival has announced a $20,000 Western Pitch Competition to have ITN Flms make your movie in Arizona in the Spring of 2026. The winner will be announced at the festival's awards ceremony on Sunday, February 1st, 2026. Submissions begin May 1, 2025 via Film Freeway. Read Full Details below.

PITCH US YOUR WESTERN!
For our fourth year of THE TOMBSTONE FILM FESTIVAL, we present a new category. We call it the WESTERN PITCH.

You are invited to submit a pitch video for your micro-budget Western feature film and enter a competition to receive $20,000 from ITN Films to make your movie!

The winner of this competition must produce their Western feature during March/April of 2026. Producers Travis Mills and John Marrs will assist and manage your budget and shooting schedule, overseeing your project from preparation to completion. The completed film must be delivered no later than November 2026. It will be distributed by ITN Films and screen out-of-competition at our fifth annual Tombstone Film Festival in 2027.

Basic Guidelines for Your Western Project:

- Must follow the budgetary guidelines set forth by Travis Mills and John Marrs.

- Must be a non-union project.

- Must be filmed in Arizona at the following locations: 1. Gammons Gulch Movie Set. 2. White Stallion Ranch. 3. Any other Arizona locations which are permitted by the production and free to use.

- Runtime must be between 80 and 120 minutes

Additional guidelines will be shared if your project reaches the final phase of our competition.

Now, here’s how you submit your Western! Read the details for submission below:

YOUR PITCH VIDEO

Starting May 1st, you may submit the pitch video for your feature-length Western: https://filmfreeway.com/TheTombstoneFilmFestival

Like our regular submissions, there is an early bird, regular, and late deadline. Keep in mind, the sooner you submit your video, the more time we will have to consider your project.

- Pitch videos must be 2 to 3 minutes in length

- Your pitch video may include photography/clips, conceptual drawings, excerpts from your script, and more. Get creative!

- Your pitch video must answer the following questions: 1. What’s your story? 2. Why do you want to make this movie? 3. Why should we want to watch this movie? 4. Why is the Western genre important to you?

After reviewing your video, our festival team will determine if you have reached the second round: sending us your screenplay.

YOUR SCREENPLAY

We will contact you via email if your pitch has passed to the second round. We will request a copy of your screenplay (so start writing now if you haven’t already!).

Scripts must be:

- 60 to 120 pages in length

- Formatted as a PDF

- Professional script formatting (proper use of script writing programs) will be taken into consideration when judging your screenplay

If you pass the second round to become one of our finalist, you will be invited as a finalist in the competition and screen your pitch video at our fourth annual Tombstone Film Festival. In addition, our festival team will reach out to you with details regarding budget, schedule, and rules for making your Western if you are chosen as this year’s winner.

FINAL COMPETITION

During our fourth annual Tombstone Film Festival, finalist pitch videos will screen throughout our event for our audience. The winner will be selected by an average of the following two groups:

- Judge’s panel including festival co-founders Travis Mills and John Marrs, plus select industry professionals

- Audience vote, collected during our festival events

The winner will be announced at our awards ceremony on Sunday, February 1st, 2026.

Submit your Western Pitch on FilmFreeway starting May 1st: https://filmfreeway.com/TheTombstoneFilmFestival

Email us if you have any questions: [email protected]

AZ Film Commissioner HonoredMatthew Earl Jones - 2025 Architect of Change Recipient

Arizona Film Commission and Director of Arizona Film & Digital Media Matthew Earl Jones was among the honorees of the 2025 Architect of Change Awards presented by Arizona State University’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy on March 1, 2025.

Jones, an actor, producer, and teacher, was recognized for his transformative efforts to grow Arizona's film and digital media industry, and for embodying the familial knowledge and power of his legacy family in doing so, learning from his trailblazing father, actor Robert Earl Jones, and his revered brother, iconic actor James Earl Jones. Read Award Presentation Letter

Legendary filmmaker Spike Lee was this year’s distinguished speaker for the Delivering Democracy 2025 dialogue. An estimated 2,500 people attended the event held at the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in downtown Phoenix to listen to the famous scriptwriter who was also presented with an ASU Gammage Courage Award.

Read Full ASU News Story

New Fiscal Sponsor Helps Fund Films in ArizonaThe Funding Studio joins Arizona Production Directory

Arizona Film & Digital Media welcomes a unique financial Support Services business, The Funding Studio, to its statewide Arizona Production Directory. The non-profit group released the following Press Release on its efforts to help filmmakers in Arizona finance their productions, providing professional, fiscal sponsorship opportunities.

The Funding Studio Launches as a Premier Resource for Arizona Filmmakers

The Funding Studio is excited to announce its official launch as the first and only professional fiscal sponsor dedicated to supporting independent filmmakers in Arizona. With its dual focus on fiscal sponsorship and strategic fundraising consulting, The Funding Studio provides essential support for Arizona's film community, helping filmmakers secure the funding they need to bring their creative visions to life.

As part of its commitment to fostering creativity and enabling cinematic visions to come to life, The Funding Studio offers two primary services:

Fiscal Sponsorship: The Funding Studio serves as a crucial piece of the fundraising puzzle for independent film projects. Through fiscal sponsorship, filmmakers gain access to a philanthropic avenue for securing funding, allowing them to attract donations and grants that are typically only available to nonprofit organizations.

Strategic Fundraising Consulting: Setting itself apart from traditional fiscal sponsors, The Funding Studio goes beyond financial sponsorship by offering strategic fundraising consulting provided by Certified Fund Raising Executive, Melissa Watson Erickson. This unique service equips filmmakers with the tools and expertise needed to effectively engage with individual donors, corporate sponsors, and grant funders. By leveraging personalized strategies tailored to each project, The Funding Studio enhances the fundraising capabilities of filmmakers, ensuring their projects receive the support they deserve.

Melissa Watson Erickson, Executive Director of The Funding Studio, expressed her enthusiasm about the launch, stating, "We are thrilled to introduce The Funding Studio to Arizona's vibrant filmmaking community. Our dual approach of fiscal sponsorship and strategic fundraising consulting is designed to empower filmmakers with the resources they need to bring their creative visions to the screen."

With a deep-rooted passion for regional storytelling and a commitment to supporting local filmmakers, The Funding Studio is poised to become a cornerstone in Arizona's independent film industry. Filmmakers can now access invaluable resources and expert guidance to navigate the fundraising process successfully.

For more information about The Funding Studio and its services, visit thefundingstudio.org

Contact:

Melissa Watson Erickson,

CFRE, aPHR, MSOL

Executive Director

The Funding Studio
818-219-8149
[email protected]
The Funding Studio, a nonprofit organization

Tax ID: 93-1576968

Stage 32 Training OpportunityProduction Accountants in Arizona

GET CERTIFIED AS A PRODUCTION ACCOUNTANT IN ARIZONA

The Stage 32 Production Accounting Master Certification Track was recently featured in The Wrap.

Arizona Film & Digital Media and Stage 32 are excited to share a special opportunity with you. This is your chance to get certified as a film, television, and digital media production accountant by Stage 32, the world’s leading online education platform for the entertainment industry. This certification will qualify anyone to work as a production accountant in Arizona. For CPAs approved by the Arizona Commerce Authority, this certification will enhance your understanding of how to work with the Arizona production tax incentive.

And the best part… thanks to Arizona Film & Digital Media, you can take Stage 32’s Production Accounting Master Certification track for 30% off (a $500 value) using this special AFDM discount code: AFDM30

Click here to get started and to get certified!

READ MORE

Local DP HighlightedBritish Cinematographer

Congratulations to Arizona DP and Director Jason Ryan (IMDb) with Psychicflying Monkey Productions for coverage in the British Cinematographer's Focus On: Lenses Guide highlighting work on his latest music video "Fishing for Love"! The production was filmed entirely in Arizona (Tempe/Mesa (The Monastery Bar and Grill) with local musicians, crew, cast, and support services. Keep up the good work!

Read the article here
Watch Fishing for Love

Hollywood is Coming to Arizona : YC hosts AZ State’s Film & TV Production Assistant certificateYavapai College

Photo: Mysteries of the Heart film production shot in Prescott

By Michael Grady | Yavapai College
April 19, 2023

Arizona’s new film production tax credit continues to draw motion picture crews to the state, and community colleges have partnered with the state film commission to offer a program that provides local jobs and qualified personnel when they get here. Yavapai College’s School of Film & Media Arts is offering a free Film and Television Production Assistant (PA) certification program, Monday-Friday, April 24 – 28, on the Prescott Campus.
READ more

Southwest Film ExpoApril 6, 2023

Southwest Film Expo
April 6, 2023
Peoria Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets:$40 Buy Tickets
For ADA seating please call the Box Office at (623)815-7930.

The Southwest Film Expo will showcase the best in Arizona film-making, from the past to the present. The goal is to celebrate Arizona’s rich film history while advancing increased diversity and the impact of minorities on the present and future of Arizona film. The Southwest Film Expo will present its first Michael Blake (academy award screenwriter-Dances With Wolves) Western Cinema Excellence Award and will feature speakers and panelists leading the industry. Co-created by Metacom Films and US Energy, which are Native owned and operated, along with the City of Peoria as a foundational sponsor.

Impact Cinema: The global film industry has seen a greater demand for impactful stories, diverse creators, and original content. The Southwest Film Expo’s ‘ImpACT Cinema’ lens is designed to reflect films that matter. This event will allow industry professionals to exchange ideas, reflect on the current film landscapes, ask questions, engage in constructive conversations, and focus on the values aligned with a diverse film industry, with content that speaks across all audiences. Impact x Cinema = ACTion.

More information

World Vision Tour Is Coming to MIX Center

AZ Industry EventAVID World Vision Tour 2023

Join Avid, ALT Systems, and special guests Lori Jane Coleman, ACE, and Bobbi Banks for the Vision Tour 2023 to see how Avid’s latest storytelling solutions are giving audio and video post-production teams worldwide more creative capabilities than ever before—and how you have the power to do the same.Join us in Mesa, AZ at The Sidney Poitier New American Film School at ASU's state-of-the-art new Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center to try new workflows, speak with experts, and hear from our special keynote speakers.What you’ll see on the tour:

Meet film editor and author Lori Jane Coleman, ACE (Covert Affairs, Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Deliberate Stranger) and sound editor Bobbi Banks (The Batman, Chevalier, Coming 2 America, Dolemite Is My Name)
Discover Avid NEXIS | EDGE—our solution for collaborative remote video editing from anywhere. See how realistic over-the-shoulder collaboration through the game-changing Media Composer with SRT enables your remote teams to feel like they’re editing together in the studio
Try out the new Avid | Edit On Demand, the cloud-based post-production solution that can be deployed and scaled on demand
Find out what’s new in Pro Tools and discover new interoperability with Media Composer
Get the latest on immersive audio workflows that are transforming the way we create and experience sound
Collect fun swag! Win prizes, including Media Composer and Pro Tools Artist subscriptions!
Enjoy delicious snacks and refreshments on us!

REGISTER
When:Friday, March 17, 202310:00 am – 4:00 pm MSTWhere:The Sidney Poitier New American Film SchoolMedia and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center50 N Centennial WayMesa, AZ 85201Special Guest: Genelec Sponsored by: Genelec

Prescott’s Streets, Businesses Serve As Sets For First In Series Of Mystery MoviesKudosAZ.com

Film is part of state’s effort to rebuild Arizona’s movie industry

During filming at the First Congregational Church on Gurley Street in downtown Prescott Friday, March 3, 2023, Arizona Film Commissioner Matthew Earl Jones, right, meets with representatives of the “Mysteries of the Heart” movie. Those involved with the movie include Nicely Entertainment Production Executive Dave Hickey, front left, and CEO Vanessa Shapiro, front center. Also meeting with Jones were Line Producer Rochelle Savory and Jon Wright of Maven Production Services, left, and Helen Stephenson, director of Film and Media Arts at Yavapai College, right back row. (Cindy Barks/Courier)

In what is expected to be among the first movies to benefit from Arizona’s newly restored film tax incentives, a cast and crew arrived in Prescott last month to shoot scenes on the picturesque downtown streets, in local businesses, and in a downtown church.

“Mysteries of the Heart,” a faith-based movie that depicts a young woman dealing with real-life issues, began filming in Prescott on Feb. 23 and was set to wrap up on March 7.

State Film commission offers free production assistant workshops

Published: Oct. 6, 2022
AZ Family (3TV/CBS 5)
WATCH Story
AZ Family reporter Jessica Parsons visits the production set at Scottsdale Community College where participants of the first class of the new Production Assistant Certification Program are getting hands-on training. Arizona Film & Digital Media (AFDM) Director Matthew Earl Jones discusses the workforce development program. AFDM operates as the state's film commission and is a program of the Arizona Commerce Authority. Click here for more on the training program and upcoming classes.

Scottsdale Community College to offer production assistant certification programAZ Family

By Dani Birzer Published: Sep. 19, 2022
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - Scottsdale Community College announced it will be offering a Production Assistant Certification program in October.
Read More

Production Assistant Training Helps Create A Workforce For Arizona's Next Major Film and TV Projects PRESS RELEASE

Arizona Commerce Authority and Scottsdale Community College prepare for a new wave
of projects to be filmed in Arizona

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (September 7, 2022) – As Arizona continues to attract major film production opportunities to the state, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) has partnered with the Scottsdale School of Film+Theatre at Scottsdale Community College (SCC) to train local talent to fill openings as production assistants. The inaugural Production Assistant Certification program will run Oct. 3-7, 2022.
Read More

How tech is fueling Arizona’s film comebackAZInno - The Business Journals

AZInno - Business Journals (July 21, 2022)
Arizona Commerce Authority

"How tech is fueling Arizona’s film comeback"