Big Apple Film Festival Screenplay Competition

2026 Big Apple Film Festival & Screenplay Competition (Spring Edition)

Festival Dates: May 11–14, 2025
Location: Village East Cinemas by Angelika, NYC

Launch your writing career in NYC.

Now in its 23rd year, the Big Apple Film Festival (BAFF) is a vibrant celebration of bold, original storytelling. Our Screenplay Competition connects emerging writers with a network of industry professionals, mentors, and decision-makers through live events, pitch opportunities, and year-round programming.

Whether you're looking for feedback, exposure, or representation, this is your chance to be part of New York City's premiere screenwriting community.

Screenplay Competition Benefits

All submitters receive:

✔️ Complimentary access to select BAFF networking & mentorship events
✔️ Eligibility for inclusion in the Fall 2025 BAFF Awards 
✔️ Year-round career development opportunities
✔️ Opportunity to pre-register for the "Agents, Managers & Producers Pitch Forum (virtual event)

Accepted formats: Features, Pilots, Shorts, Episodic, TV/Web Series, as well as SPOTLIGHT CATEGORIES: Women Screenwriters and First Time Screenwriters

Writers submitting on the Stage 32 Global Marketplace have the opportunity to upgrade to a 35% discounted All Access Pass for the BAFF Agents, Managers & Producers Pitch Forum, held in spring 2026. This is a VIRTUAL event connecting screenwriters and filmmakers with agents, managers, producers and industry professionals through small-group pitch sessions and informational panels.

At checkout click "Pitch Agents, Managers and Producers" with your contest submission fee.

Event Includes:
✅ Small-Group Pitch Sessions, in which participants will have the opportunity to pitch directly to agents, managers, producers and other industry reps.

✅ Informational sessions hosted by agents, managers, producers and other industry professionals from top-tier companies. Sessions focus on strategies on acquiring representation, selling your script or film, pitching studios, producers, and development executives and more...

✅ Live Q&A with agents, managers, producers and other industry professionals.

Participating agents, managers, producers and industry professionals include reps from:

● WME

● The Gersh Agency

● 3 Arts Entertainment

● Innovative Artists

● Magnolia Entertainment

● Kaplan Stahler Agency

● Zero Gravity Management

● WGA East
and more...

✅ Last season approximately 14% of pitch session participants received script requests from participating agents and managers!

✅ “Two of the agents I pitched requested my script. One called to discuss representation.” – Nate Bynum, screenwriter

Exclusive Offer: At the time of entry, submitters have the option to pre-register for an All-Access Pass to the Agents, Managers & Producers Pitch Forum at a 35% discounted rate. The All-Access Pass includes admission to all informational sessions at no additional cost, as well as priority registration for small group pitch sessions.

Submitters who choose this option will receive a code approximately two weeks before the event to redeem their prepaid All Access Pass.

NOTE: All submitters who pre-register for the Agents, Managers & Producers Pitch Forum will automatically receive their all-access pass, regardless of whether or not their script advances in the screenplay competition.

PRODUCER'S NOTES
Submitters have the option to upgrade their film or script submission to include Producer's Notes. If this option is selected, the submitter will receive one page of notes from one professional accredited producer.

Participating producers include:

● Krushan Naik (producer of Oscar®-nominated film "Anuja")

● Emmy Award winning producer Ryan Cunningham (Paramount+, Hulu, Disney+, HBOmax)

● Crystal Holt (former Vice President of Series at 20th Television/Disney, previous Director of Scripted Programming at AMC Networks)

● Wade Sheeler (Netflix, CBS, Bravo)

● Devan Renea (Hulu, CW, OWN)

● Tim Curcio (CBS)

● Melinda Li (Warner Bros. Drama Development, Creative Executive JuVee Productions - Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s production company)

● Aeryn Michelle Willams (Netflix, Marvel, Disney, Prime Video)

● Samantha Sharma (former Original Scripted Content Coordinator at Disney+, former Creative Executive at Marvel Studios, Franchise Asset Coordinator at LucasFilm Ltd.).

INDUSTRY JURORS

Big Apple Film Festival industry jurors include writers, producers and industry professionals with credits at NETFLIX, AMAZON STUDIOS, DISNEY, MARVEL, HULU, CBS, 20th TELEVISION, AMC NETWORKS and more. (visit bigapplefilmfestival.com for the complete list of jurors).

Connected to Industry. Grounded in Opportunity.

Additionally, throughout the year, BAFF hosts weekly virtual networking and mentorship sessions designed to help writers build relationships, get advice, and grow their careers.

Speakers and mentors have included representatives from:
Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Apple TV+, Sony Pictures, Hulu, NBCUniversal, Anonymous Content, Gersh, WME, A3 Artists Agency, and many more.

See the upcoming schedule ➝

Festival Alumni & Featured Work

Over the years, BAFF has showcased the work of talented filmmakers and screenwriters—many of whom have earned major industry recognition.

Big Apple Film Festival has been proud to feature or select projects such as:

• I’M NOT A ROBOT – BAFF selection and Oscar® winner for Best Live Action Short

• IF ANYTHING HAPPENS I LOVE YOU BAFF selection and Oscar® winner for Animated Short

• THE LIVING WAKE – Starring Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg and Emmy Award winner Jim Gaffigan

• The One Note Man - Shortlisted for Best Live Action at the 96th Academy Awards, Narrated by Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe Award winner Ian McKellen
• Last Ride - Executive Produced by Oscar® winner SPIKE LEE, distributed by Quiver Distribution

• SWEETWATER – Released by Universal Pictures, starring Golden Globe Award winner Jeremy Piven and Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss

• AMERIKATSI – Armenian Oscar submission, Nationwide theatrical release

• THE SHEPHERD – Academy Awards Shortlist, distributed by Disney+, produced by Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón

• "Bad Survivor" (Oscars Shortlist, Short Film Live Action Category)

• "Deadly Vows", starring Shiva Negar, SAG Award nominee Billy Zane (Titanic), Shane West (A Walk to Remember), Academy Award nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo, distributed by Quiver Distribution, streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV

While these projects were not developed through BAFF, we’re honored to have supported their creators early in their journeys.

✍️ Past Screenplay Participants Include:

Writers with credits at Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Warner Bros., Lifetime, Paramount+, and more, including:

       ● Douglas Raine (Line Producer "Reigns of Fire" starring Academy Award winners Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale) 

       ● Amy Kolquist (Writer of "Border Run" starring Academy Award nominee Sharon Stone and Billy Zane, distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment and Paramount Pictures)

       ● Stephanie Drapeau (Writer and Producer of Wish Wizard starring Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman)

• Shia LaBeouf – Honey Boy, The Peanut Butter Falcon

• Ron Friedman - Emmy nominee and WGA Award winner
  

• Elizabeth Page – 6x Emmy & 3x WGA Award Winner (All My Children, General Hospital)

• Caytha Jentis – The Other F Word (Amazon), Bad Parents

• Elizabeth Reichelt - writers’ assistant for Bridgerton (NETFLIX), Inventing Anna (NETFLIX), and Physical(APPLE TV, AMAZON). Co-wrote/co-produced Full Picture, executive produced by Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Rachel Bloom. Writer for the CBS Diversity Showcase.
  

• Mike Gerbino – Freelance (Apple TV, Gravitas Ventures)

• Emily Lansbury – Story of a Girl, directed by Kyra Sedgwick, starring Kevin Bacon

• Leonora Pitts – For All Mankind, Togetherness, Room 104

• Geoffrey Colo – Emmy-nominated producer (House M.D., Marvel Television)

• Linda Shayne – Writer/Director (Undercover Kid, Little Ghost, Warner Bros./Paramount)

• Kent Moran - Feature films have been released by Warner Brothers, Netflix, Showtime, Paramount+, Starz, Apple, Hulu, Amazon, Hallmark, Lifetime, LMN, Regal Cinemas

• Matt Giacheri - produced projects for NETFLIX, Amazon

… and many more with award-winning credits across film, television, streaming, and publishing.

What Writers Are Saying
“Since being a finalist with Big Apple, I was signed by A3 and have taken meetings with Starz, Lionsgate, and Anonymous Content.”
— Maia Henkin

“My script became a Coverfly Red List finalist after BAFF and helped me land a literary manager.
— Janet J. Lawler

“I met my agent through a BAFF pitch session. This festival was career-changing.”
— Andrea Careri


Submit Now. Be Seen. Be Heard.

Whether you’re seeking exposure, reps, or your first industry meeting, BAFF gives you a platform to be taken seriously.

✨ Every submission is a step toward opportunity—no matter where you are in your career.

1. Screenplay winners in each category will receive small group meetings with established producers and other industry representatives. These industry professionals will be selected from BAFF alumni and other members of our industry network (screenplay winners will receive information on this year's selected industry reps in the weeks following the festival).

Our network of professionals from previous years have included representatives from: HBO, NBCUniversal, Academy Award winning Killer Films, William Morris Endeavor Agency, The Gersh Agency, APA Agency, Magnolia Pictures, Film Rise(distributor of numerous Oscar Award winning and Emmy Award winning films), Emmy Award winning Gigantic Productions, Cinepointe Advisors(legal counsel on numerous Oscar nominated films), Academy Award nominated and Emmy Award winning filmmakers, Academy Award and Emmy Award winning screenwriters, Filmmakers with projects released through Sony, Disney, Lions Gate, HBO, Showtime, Netflix, Amazon Studios, Hulu, and theatrically, as well as staff writers for CBS, ABC, Lifetime, and more...

These meetings are designed to provide winning screenwriters with direct access and live interaction with industry professionals to provide strategies, guidance and mentorship to emerging screenwriters.

Conferences take place virtually allowing participants to join remotely.

2. Winning screenplays will be promoted to Big Apple Film Festival's list of alumni filmmakers, many of which include filmmakers who have had film released theatrically, as well as on numerous major distribution platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, Apple TV, NBCUniveral and more...

3. Winners will receive a complimentary all access badge to Big Apple Film Festival film screenings, access to select industry networking and mentorship sessions and receptions.

4. Winners will receive a complimentary InkTip listing, which will provide access to InkTip's entire network of producers, filmmakers, agents and managers. Producers have made over 400 films discovered thru InkTip.

This season's jurors will be announced in spring 2026. Previous industry jurors throughout the years have included:

• Kent Moran (Feature films released by Warner Brothers, Netflix, Showtime, Paramount+, Starz, Apple, Hulu, Amazon, Hallmark, Lifetime, LMN, Regal Cinemas)
• Brad Cooper (former MGM Studio Executive)
• Elizabeth Page - Six time Emmy Award and three time WGA Award winning writer and playwright (ABC, CBS, TBS)
• Jeff Stacy (writer, 20th Century Fox)
• Aimee Pitta (writer, Hulu)
• Danny Alexander (literary agent, APA)
• Spencer Robinson (talent manager, Art/Work Entertainment)
• Eva Von Schweinitz (Writer/Filmmaker - Big Apple Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Palm Springs ShortFest, Screencraft Fellowship semi-finalist)
• Geoffrey Colo(producer, NBC/Universal, Fox Entertainment, ABC, Marvel Entertainment, Emmy and PGA Award Nominee. Multiple Webby Award winner, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences member, Producers Guild of America member)
• and many more...

Entrant also agrees to Stage32.com terms and conditions.