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Submissions are now open for the

2026 Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay Competition (Spring Edition).

Enter today on Film Freeway, ISA or Stage 32. Celebrate in NYC!

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Alumni in the Spotlight

  • "Amerikatsi" (released theatrically nationwide, Armenian selection for 96th Academy Awards, Best International Feature Category)

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  • "The Living Wake" starring Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg, Jim Gaffigan, Mike O' Connell

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  • "I'm Not a Robot" Oscar winner, Live Action Short Film

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  • Until - directed by and starring Golden Globe Award winners Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick

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  • "Killing Mary Sue", distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films, starring SAG Award nominee Dermot Mulroney

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  • "Taste the Revolution" starring Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Green Book, House of Cards, The Hunger Games, True Detective)

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  • ​"Thirsty" (Apple TV, Prime Video), starring Jamie Neumann (HBO's The Deuce), Image Award nominee Tyler Lepley (Harlem, Tyler Perry's Duplicity), Golden Globe Award winner Kyra Sedgwick, Golden Globe Award nominee Thora Birch

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  • "Life of a King" starring Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr.

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  • "Sweetwater"(Distributed by Universal Pictures, Hulu, Amazon), starring Emmy Award and Golden Globe Winner Jeremy Piven, Everett Osborne, Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss, SAG Award winner Kevin Pollak

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  • "Mother's Day" starring Academy Award winner Melissa Leo​

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  • "The Shepherd" (shortlisted for the 96th Academy Awards, Short Film Live Action Category, distributed by Disney+), starring Ben Radcliffe, Academy Award nominee John Travolta, directed by BAFTA nominee Iain Softley, produced by Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuaron

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  • "The One Note Man" (shortlisted for the 96th Academy Awards, Short Film Live Action Category)​​

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  • Bones of Crows"(Writers Guild of Canada Award nominee, Canadian Screen Awards nominee, theatrical distribution Elevation Pictures)​​

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  • If Anything Happens I Love You" (Academy Award winner, Best Short Animation Film, Netflix Release)

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  • "A Stage of Twilight", starring Independent Spirit Award nominee Karen Allen and William Sadler, repped by Buffalo 8 Productions, streaming on Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Plex and Tubi.

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  • "Kiss the Ground" (featuring Woody Harrelson, Gisele Bundchen, Ian Somerhalder, Patricia Arquette, David Arquette, Rosario Dawson, directed by Sundance Film Festival winner Josh Tickell, Netflix Release)

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  • Feeling Through (Academy Award nominated short film)

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  • Edith+Eddie(Academy Award nominee, Best Documentary Short Subject)

 

  • Shia LaBeouf (BAFF Screenplay Competition Finalist), SAG Award, People's Choice Award and Independent Spirit Award nominee)

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  • Matt Giacheri (BAFF Screenplay Competition Finalist), producer of NETFLIX's "The Block Island Sound", "Funeral Kings", SXSW premiere, available on AMAZON)

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  • Elizabeth Reichelt (BAFF Screenplay Competition Finalist), 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.

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  • Vanessa Esteves (BAFF Screenplay Competition Winner), creator and writer of "Super Wish", series distributed by Discovery Kids and Warner Bros., available in the U.S. on NBC's Peacock Network)

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  • Stuart Feldman (BAFF Screenplay Competition winner) - WGA writer, has written for the NBC drama LAW & ORDER, the USA series ROYAL PAINS, and his teleplay for LAW & ORDER: SVU ("Justice Denied") ranked #21 on the TV Guide list of "Best Episodes". 

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  • Emily Lansbury (BAFF Screenplay Competition Finalist), writer and producer of "Story of a Girl", starring Kevin Bacon, directed by Kyra Sedgwick, distributed by Lifetime Network)

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  • Elizabeth Page - (BAFF Screenplay Competition Finalist), six time Emmy Award and three time WGA Award winning writer and playwright. Written for ABC, CBS, TBS and more...)

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  • Mike Gerbino (BAFF Screenplay Competition Finalist)writer of "Freelance", distributed by Gravitas Ventures, previously on Apple TV and Amazon

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  • Silvan Schmid (BAFF Screenplay Competition Finalist)writer of "Humans", released theatrically in France, distributed by Overlook Entertainment

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  • Leonora Pitts (BAFF Screenplay Competition Winner)TV credits include "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "The Rookie", and is a recurring character on the Apple+ series, "For All Mankind". Leonora collaborates with the Duplass Brothers, co-starring in the films "The Freebie", and "Manson Family Vacation", and guest-starring on two of their HBO series, "Togetherness" and "Room 104"

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  • ​Ron Friedman (BAFF Screenplay Competition Winner), Emmy nominee and WGA Award winner

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  • Kent Moran (BAFF Screenplay Competition Winner), Feature films released by Warner Brothers, Netflix, Showtime, Paramount+, Starz, Apple, Hulu, Amazon, Hallmark, Lifetime, LMN, Regal Cinemas

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  • Geoffrey Colo(BAFF Screenplay Competition Winner), Worked in development at Universal, followed by producer roles including 8 seasons of House M.D. and 6 years of Marvel TV dramas, earning him an Emmy nomination, 2 PGA nominations and 2 Webby awards

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  • Larry Collins (BAFF Screenplay Competition Winner), Emmy Award Winner, NBCUniversal/Peacock Network

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  • Harris Gurny (BAFF Screenplay Competition Finalist), Producer, "Coup!" starring Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominee Peter Sarsgaard, "The God Committee", starring Emmy Award winner Kelsey Grammer, Golden Globe and SAG Award nominee Julia Stiles and Emmy Award winner Colman Domingo

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  • Alex Forstenhausler (BAFF Screenplay Competition Winner), optioned screenwriter, Finalist Fox Comedy Pilot Competition) ​

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  • Lindsay Heiman (BAFF Screenplay Competition Winner), showrunner's assistant, credits include “CONAN”, Warner Bros., “VEEP” Paramount, “INSECURE” HBO, “THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS” HBO Max, "THE GIRLS ON THE BUS" and "MORE," both premiering on HBO Max

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  • Sheena Lambert (BAFF Screenplay Competition Finalist), Author, "The Lake", published by HarperCollins, optioned TV projects in various stages of development, represented by Blake Friedmann Agency in London

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  • Thomas L. Ferguson (BAFF Screenplay Competition Finalist), writer, "Forgotten" starring Tom Sizemore, available on Amazon, Tubi, Roku

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  • AND MANY MORE...

Congrats BAFF alumni!

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