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Program Description

Networking opportunities include "Meet the Agents and Managers: Conference and Pitch Forum", panels, receptions, and year round mentorship and pitch sessions.

2025 Big Apple Film Festival & Screenplay Competition (Fall Edition)

Festival Dates: November 10–13, 2025
Location: Look Dine-In Cinemas, NYC

Launch your writing career in NYC.

Now in its 22nd 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 virtual networking & mentorship events
-Eligibility for inclusion in the Fall 2025 BAFF Awards Presentation
-Year-round career development opportunities
-Opportunity to pre-register for the "Meet the Agents and Managers: Conference and Pitch Forum (virtual event)

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

Meet the Agents and Managers: Conference and Pitch Forum (Optional)

Writers submitting on ISA have the opportunity to pre-register at a 40% discounted rate for an  All Access Pass for the BAFF "Meet the Agents and Managers: Conference and Pitch Forum, held in November 2025. This is a virtual event connecting screenwriters and filmmakers with agents, managers, and industry professionals through small-group pitch sessions and general conference panels.

Event Includes:

-Small-Group Pitch Sessions, in which participants will have the opportunity to pitch directly to agents, managers and other industry reps in an intimate virtual setting.

-General Informational sessions hosted by professionals from top-tier companies 

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

Participating agents, managers and industry professionals include reps from:

-WME
-The Gersh Agency
-3 Arts Entertainment
-Innovative Artists
-Magnolia Entertainment
-WGA East
and more.

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

Connected to Industry. Grounded in Opportunity.

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

Previous 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.

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

-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 – Shortlisted for Oscar, distributed by Disney+, produced by Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón

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:

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

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.

Deadlines and Fees

Early
June 30, 2025
Regular
Aug. 12, 2025
Extended
Sept. 03, 2025
Late
Sept. 23, 2025
Final
Oct. 10, 2025
Feature Screenplay
Standard Fee
$65
$70
$75
$80
$90
ISAConnect Fee
$60
$65
$70
$75
$85
Series/Episodic Pilot Script
Standard Fee
$60
$65
$70
$75
$85
ISAConnect Fee
$55
$60
$65
$70
$80
Short Script
Standard Fee
$60
$65
$70
$75
$85
ISAConnect Fee
$55
$60
$65
$70
$80
Feature Screenplay+Meet the Agents and Managers Registration
Standard Fee
$185
$190
$195
$200
$210
ISAConnect Fee
$180
$185
$190
$195
$205
Series/Episodic Pilot Script+Meet the Agents and Managers Registration
Standard Fee
$180
$185
$190
$195
$205
ISAConnect Fee
$175
$180
$185
$190
$200
Short Script+Feature Screenplay+Meet the Agents and Managers Registration
Standard Fee
$180
$185
$190
$195
$205
ISAConnect Fee
$175
$180
$185
$190
$200

Program Benefits

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.

BAFF"s network of professionals from previous seasons 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 through BAFF's email list and social media platofrms, 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.

Meet the Agents and Managers

Networking opportunities include "Meet the Agents and Managers: Conference and Pitch Forum", receptions, and year round networking and pitch sessions.

Announcement Dates

Honorable Mentions

Oct. 17, 2025

Quarterfinalists

Oct. 17, 2025

Semifinalists

Oct. 24, 2025

Finalists

Oct. 30, 2025

Winners

Nov. 05, 2025

Rules

1. Big Apple Film Festival Screenplay Competition accepts submissions as feature length screenplays, series/episodic pilot scripts and short scripts. Feature length scripts must be a minimum of 60 pages and no longer than 120 pages. Series/episodic and short scripts must be under 60 pages. 

 

2. Submitted screenplays cannot have been optioned, purchased, or otherwise produced at the time of submission. 

 

3. Writers may submit as many screenplays as they’d like to the competition, however each script requires a separate application and payment.

 

4.All entries must be submitted in English. 

 

5. Submissions must include the title, author(s) and any relevant registration or copyright information. 

 

6. Screenplays must be submitted in PDF or MS WORD.

 

7. All screenplays are considered complete once they are received by the Big Apple Film Festival. No revisions or updated copies will be accepted.

 

8. Submission fees are non-refundable.

 

9. Please be sure to read all rules and regulations prior to submitting your project.

 

10. SUBMITTERS MUST HOLD ALL NECESSARY RIGHTS AND CLEARANCES TO ALL  MATERIAL SUBMITTED TO BIG APPLE FILM FESTIVAL, LLC

 

11. The organizers of the Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay Competition wish to make it clear that while we welcome and appreciate all submissions, we are unable to provide individualized feedback on entries. Furthermore, the selection process is subjective and may involve various factors. BAFF is under no obligation to provide feedback or comments regarding submitted projects to any applicant. As such, Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay Competition is not obligated to explain why a particular project was not selected for inclusion in the festival, or why a particular project did not advance in our screenplay competition. Our decisions are final and not open to negotiation or appeal.

 

12. All submitters who register for a prepaid All Access Pitch Festival Pass at the time of entry, will automatically receive their pass in the fall of 2025, regardless of whether or not their project advances in the screenplay competition.

 

13. Entrants hereby acknowledge and agree that the identities, business affiliations, and contact information of script readers shall remain strictly confidential and will not be disclosed under any circumstances to the submitter.

 

14. Big Apple Film Festival reserves the right to withdraw any project from our festival program or entry pool at any time for any reason we deem necessary.

 

15. All information provided on this page may be subject to change, including but not limited to: event dates, event details, networking opportunities, event format, guest speakers, jurors, awards, venue, etc. 

 

16. All questions or concerns may be forwarded to [email protected].

Contact Information

[email protected]

New York, New York

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