Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) is accepting entries for 2025 Baltimore Screenwriters Competition

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The Baltimore Film Office at the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) is accepting entries for the 20th annual Baltimore Screenwriters Competition.

About Baltimore Screenwriters Competition

This is an opportunity to craft winning screenplay that highlights Baltimore. The competition awards prizes in both the feature and shorts categories for scripts that are set or able to be filmed in Baltimore.

The Baltimore Screenwriters Competition is a project of the Baltimore Film Office in conjunction with film programs at Johns Hopkins University and Morgan State University.

Baltimore Screenwriters Competition Application Info

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. The application and full
guidelines are available online at promotionnandarts.org.

Submitted scripts receive coverage from students in the Johns Hopkins University and Morgan State University
screenwriting programs and by local screenwriters and producers. The final screenplays are judged by
industry professionals in film and television, including producers and writers working on projects for HBO
and other studios.

All screenwriters are encouraged to apply.

“The Baltimore Screenwriters Competition nurtures writers of all levels by providing opportunities for screenwriters to have their scripts read, receive valuable feedback, and gain confidence in their storytelling,” says Debbie Donaldson Dorsey, Director of the Baltimore Film Office.

The top entries in each category will win cash prizes and are scheduled to be announced during the 2025 Maryland Film Festival in May 2025.

Previous Winners

In 2024, the 19th annual Baltimore Screenwriter Competition judges — Nina Noble, Ken LaZebink, Dale
Beran, and Annette Porter — awarded “A Better Chance” by L.T. Woody, “Car BNB” by Lee Connah, and
“Champion” by Peter Kimball in the features category, and “Shipping and Handling” by Harrison Demchick,
“Orchestra” by Felix Abeson, and “An Incredibly Stupid Idea (That Just Might Work)” by Evan Balkan in the
shorts category.

Previous Baltimore Screenwriters Competition winners have also received Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund
Fellowships, including 2020 Baltimore Screenwriter Competition winners Stephen Schuyler for “Like You
Think You Know Me” and “Stealing Cars,” and Chung-Wei Huang for “Squeegee Boys,” who both shot their
films in Baltimore.