Submissions for the 2025 Five16 Film Festival will open February 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q:  Can I submit a film?
​A: Students who have been enrolled at the University of Northwestern anytime in the 12 months before the festival are eligible to enter. Films by those who are not enrolled at Northwestern in the Spring of 2025 must have had at least 50% of production completed while the entrant was a student. 

Alumni who were enrolled at University of Northwestern any time before January 1, 2024 are eligible to enter.

Q: What are the categories?
A: Each student film submitted will be filed under one of four categories:
  1. Animation
  2. Documentary
  3. Music Video
  4. Narrative Short

Q: How long can my film be?
A: All films must not exceed 8 minutes running time, including credits. Documentary films must not exceed 4 minutes running time, including credits.

​Q: Can I submit more than one film?
A: Yes, you can. Students and Alumni may submit more than one film, but each film must be a separate submission, saved as a separate file, and accompanied by its own completed entry form.

Q:  Who judges my film?
​A: Each student category has three judges that screen and evaluate all the films within that category. Judges consist of professionals, often alumni, in varying media fields. Alumni films will be pre-screened and then judged by a panel of current UNW student leaders. 

Q: If I submitted a film to the film festival and it didn't win, can I submit it again?
A: Students - Films that have previously screened are not eligible for submission. Films that have been previously submitted but not chosen for screening are only eligible if significant changes have been made. 

Alumni - Short films that have previously screened in the Five16 Film Festival are not eligible for submission. Films that have been previously submitted but not chosen for screening are only eligible if they have been heavily re-edited.

Q: What do you need from me to be considered a complete submission?
A: The following materials are required for student submission:
  1. Completed entry form.
  2. Upload of your film with your name and your film's title.

Q: Is there a prize if I win?
A: The winning student film in each category will receive an Amazon gift card. All films screened in the festival are eligible for the Audience Choice Award, which is chosen based on votes submitted by the festival audience. The film receiving the most votes will receive the title of “Audience Choice."

All student films screened in the festival are additionally eligible for the Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Screenplay, and Best Sound Design Awards. Each of these awards are judged by a panel of three professional judges and the winner of each category will receive an Amazon gift card.

All alumni films submitted to the festival are eligible for the Alumni Film Award. The winning film may be screened at the Five16 Film Festival on Friday, April 11, 2025.

Submissions for the film festival are now open.