Big Apple Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Enter Now
About
Big Apple Film Festival (Spring Edition) takes place May 23-27 in the heart of NYC. BAFF will be presenting selected films at the state of the art SVA Theatre, NYC.
BAFF, named one of MovieMaker Magazine's top "25 Film Festivals Worth The Entry Fee,” top "25 Coolest Film Festivals,”, CBS New York's "Best Film Festivals in New York...,” and FilmFreeway's "Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals", is dedicated to showcasing, highlighting and supporting the most innovative, purposeful and influential filmmakers and screenwriters.
Big Apple Film Festival readers/judges have had experience in either one or more of the following areas: screenwriting, film production, creative writing, film festival programming, film and/or screenwriting review and analysis, film, screenwriting and/or creative writing education. Examples of credits of our screenplay competition readers/judges have included reviewing scripts for: Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Academy Nicholls Fellowship, HBO, Sony International, Amazon and Sundance Feature Lab, CineStory TV writers program, NBC/Universal Studios Writers Program, Writers Guild of America-West, Final Draft Big Break Screenplay Competition, Warner Brothers, Austin Film Festival and more...
Our esteemed list of judges also include an Oscar nominated filmmaker, as well as literary managers, agents and producers from companies including:
Anonymous Content
NBC Universal
APA
Stobby Entertainment
""Since being a finalist with Big Apple, I was signed by A3 (Abrams) and have taken meetings with Starz, Lionsgate, and Anonymous Content (among others). I was also recently a Semi-Finalist for the Sundance Episodic Lab!" -Maia Henkin
PREVIOUS SCREENPLAY COMPETITION WINNERS AND FINALISTS INCLUDE: Shia LaBeouf (SAG Award, People's Choice Award and Independent Spirit Award nominee), Caytha Jentis(written/directed/produced projects for HBO, Amazon), Ron Friedman(Emmy nominee and WGA Award winner), Jyllian Gunther(Emmy Award winner, producer for NBC, ABC, A&E), Henry Sarwer-Foner(Directors Guild of Canada Award nominee), Daniel Talbott (writer ABC's "The Conners", "The Mist" produced by The Weinstein Company and Spike TV), Michael Vaynberg (writer/director Cannes Film Festival selection "9.8 m/s²"), Shruti Tewari (member of the Sundance Collab Directing Program), Bill Brock (Semi-Finalist - Stage 32 Feature Screenwriting Contest), Ken Krauss (writer "Tom, Dick, & Harriet" - Hallmark Channel), Kevin Emerson (author of over twenty novels published by HarperCollins, Random House, Scholastic), Linda Shayne (writer/director "Undercover Kid" released by WARNER BROTHERS, HBO Family, "Little Ghost,” distributed by PARAMOUNT video airing on HBO), Chris Phillips (Finalist - Sundance Institute Development Track, Award for Overall Excellence in Playwriting-New York International Fringe Festival), Maia Henkin (repped by Abrams Artists Agency), and many more...
AGENTS AND MANAGERS CONFERENCE AND NETWORKING LABS:
Big Apple Film Festival is proud to present is our Agents and Managers Conference, which provides career advice, strategies, guidance and networking opportunities with top agents and managers representing filmmakers and screenwriters.
PARTICIPATING AGENTS AND MANAGERS INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES FROM:
The Gersh Agency
APA
Kazarian/Measures/Ruskin & Associates
A3
Anonymous Content
3 Arts Entertainment
Crystal Ship Artists
Entertainment Lab
Magnolia Entertainment
Culture Creative Entertainment
Meridian Artists
Stobby Entertainment
Sweet 180 Management
The Jackson Agency
Alexander Creatives
Additionally, for writers and filmmakers currently seeking representation, Big Apple Film Festival offers our Agents and Managers Networking Lab. Screenwriters selected for the labs will be given the opportunity to network with selected agents and managers in small group meetings to discuss and pitch their projects, ask questions, and receive feedback. (NOTE: Agents and Manager Networking Lab selections are separate from our screenplay competition selections, and will take place after the conclusion of the festival).
For more information on our labs visit bigapplefilmfestival.com/networkingevents.
Prices & Deadlines
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Feb 1st
Regular Entry
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Feb 22nd
Extended Entry
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Mar 18th
Late Entry
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Apr 8th
Final Entry
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AGENTS AND MANAGERS NETWORKING LAB (FEATURE SCREENPLAY)
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$75.00
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$80.00
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$85.00
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$90.00
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AGENTS AND MANAGERS NETWORKING LAB (EPISODIC/SERIES PILOT SCRIPT)
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$65.00
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$70.00
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$75.00
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$80.00
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AGENTS AND MANAGERS NETWORKING LAB (SHORT SCRIPT)
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$65.00
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$70.00
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$75.00
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$80.00
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FEATURE SCREENPLAY (DRAMA)
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$75.00
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$80.00
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$85.00
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$90.00
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FEATURE SCREENPLAY (COMEDY)
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$75.00
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$80.00
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$85.00
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$90.00
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FEATURE SCREENPLAY (ACTION/ADVENTURE)
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$75.00
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$80.00
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$85.00
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$90.00
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FEATURE SCREENPLAY (WOMEN SCREENWRITERS)
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$75.00
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$80.00
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$85.00
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$90.00
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FEATURE SCREENPLAY (HORROR/THRILLER)
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$75.00
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$80.00
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$85.00
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$90.00
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FEATURE SCREENPLAY (SCIENCE FICTION)
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$75.00
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$80.00
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$85.00
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$90.00
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FEATURE SCREENPLAY (HISTORICAL)
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$75.00
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$80.00
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$85.00
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$90.00
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FEATURE SCREENPLAY (LGBTQ)
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$75.00
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$80.00
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$85.00
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$90.00
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FEATURE SCREENPLAY (FAITH BASED)
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$75.00
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$80.00
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$85.00
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$90.00
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SERIES/EPISODIC PILOT SCRIPT (DRAMA)
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$65.00
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$70.00
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$75.00
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$80.00
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SERIES/EPISODIC PILOT SCRIPT (COMEDY)
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$65.00
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$70.00
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$75.00
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$80.00
|
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SERIES/EPISODIC PILOT SCRIPT (HORROR/THRILLER)
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$65.00
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$70.00
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$75.00
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$80.00
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SHORT SCRIPT
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$65.00
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$70.00
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$75.00
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$80.00
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SERIES/EPISODIC PILOT SCRIPT (WOMEN SCREENWRITERS)
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$65.00
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$70.00
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$75.00
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$80.00
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Benefits
Screenplay winners in each category will receive small group meetings with established producers and other industry representatives. 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. BAFF's network of speakers in previous events have included representatives from: HBO, NBCUniversal, literary agencies including WME, The Gersh Agency, etc., Academy Award winning Killer Films, 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...
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, iTunes, NBCUniveral and more...
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.
Screenplay Competition winners will receive a complimentary all access badge to Big Apple Film Festival events, including screenings, networking conferences and receptions. Festival takes place May 23-27 at the state of the art SVA Theatre, NYC.
AGENTS AND MANAGERS NETWORKING LABS
For writers and filmmakers currently seeking representation, Big Apple Film Festival offers our Agents and Managers Networking Lab. Screenwriters selected for the labs will be given the opportunity to network with agents and managers in small group meetings to discuss and pitch their projects, ask questions, and receive feedback. (NOTE: Agents and Manager Networking Lab selections are separate from our screenplay competition selections, and will take place after the conclusion of the festival). For more information on our labs visit bigapplefilmfestival.com/networkingevents.
Announcements
Rules
1. Big Apple Film Festival Screenplay Competition accepts feature length screenplays in the following categories(drama, comedy, action/adventure, historical, science fiction, women screenwriters, Faith Based, LGBTQ, and horror/thriller), as well as short scripts and TV/web series/episodic pilot scripts in the following categories(drama, comedy, women screenwriters and horror/thriller). Feature length scripts must be a minimum of 60 pages and no longer than 150 pages. Short script submissions and TV/web series/episodic pilot scripts may not exceed 60 pages.
2. Big Apple Film Festival Agents and Managers Networking Lab accepts entries in feature length, short and episodic/series categories. (NOTE: Agents and Manager Networking Lab selections are separate from our screenplay competition winners.)
3. Submitted screenplays can not have been optioned, purchased, or otherwise produced at the time of submission.
4. Writers may submit as many screenplays as they’d like to the competition, however each script requires a separate application and payment.
5 .All entries must be submitted in English.
6. Submissions must include the title, author(s) and any relevant registration or copyright information.
7. Screenplays must be submitted in PDF or MS WORD.
8. All screenplays are considered complete once they are received by the Big Apple Film Festival. No revisions or updated copies will be accepted.
9. Submission fees are non-refundable.
10. (NOTE: Agents and Manager Networking Lab selections are separate from our screenplay competition selections, and will take place after the conclusion of the festival).
11. Rules and regulations for our Agents and Managers Lab entries remain the same as screenplay competition entries.
