We’ve rounded up the top film festivals, writing competitions, and grants with winter or spring deadlines. It’s time to polish that script, shoot that video, upload that film. We’ll be updating this list as more submission dates become available, so check back often.
Film/Video/TV Festivals, Contests, Labs & Screenings
Nashville Film Festival (WAB 1/10)
LA Film Festival (1/10, late shorts 2/8, late feature & doc 2/14)
Soho International Film Festival (WAB 2/15)
Edinburgh International Film Festival (2/4, late 2/18)
NYTVF History Unscripted Development Pipeline (2/24)
Female Eye Film Festival (late 1/31, WAB 2/28)
Brooklyn FIlm Festival (2/21, late 3/7)
Festival de Cannes (shorts 3/3, features 3/10)
Independent Filmmaker Lab: Documentary (3/7)
Nantucket Film Festival (early 1/20, reg 3/3, late 3/10)
Tribeca #6SECFILMS Competition (3/27)
Independent Filmmaker Lab: Narrative (4/4)
NYC PictureStart Film Festival (shorts; late 3/31, final 4/25)
Asian American International Film Festival (work-in-progress 4/30)
Just for Laughs and NYTVF TV Comedy Search (5/9)
Woods Hole Film Festival (early 3/1, final 5/15)
Aesthetica Short Film Festival (5/31)
Chicago Comedy Film Festival (accepts webisodes; late 5/1, WAB 6/1)
Hamptons International Film Festival (early 4/7, reg 5/5, late 6/2, WAB 6/16)
NYTVF Independent Pilot Competition (early 5/9, reg 6/13, final 6/27)
Diabolique International Film Festival (horror, fantasy, sci-fi; early 5/31, final 6/30)
Sundance Institute Short Film Challenge (7/1)
Austin Film Festival (early 4/30, reg 6/16, late 7/15)
Big Apple Film Festival (early 6/30, reg 8/1, late 8/15, WAB 9/1)
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (ongoing)
Big Vision Empty Wallet (ongoing)
Screenwriting & TV Writing Competitions
Nashville Film Festival (screenplay & teleplay; late 1/31)
Female Eye Film Festival Script Development Program (WAB 2/28)
Nickelodeon Writing Program (2/28)
Showtime’s Tony Cox Screenplay Competition (reg 3/3, late 3/10)
Asian American International Film Festival (4/4)
Woods Hole Film Festival (early 3/1, final 4/10)
Scriptapalooza Television (4/14)
Creative World Awards (feature, short, TV; reg 1/15, late 2/20, final 4/15)
Page International Awards (reg 2/15, late 3/15, last-minute 4/15)
Scriptapalooza (early 1/6, first 3/3, reg 4/14, final 4/21)
NYC PictureStart Film Festival (short; late 3/31, final 4/25)
Nicholl Fellowship (4/10, final 5/1)
CBS Writers Mentoring Program (5/1)
RBC’s Emerging Storytellers (5/2)
Script Pipeline (screenwriting & TV writing; early 3/1, reg 5/1, late 5/7)
Austin Screenplay & Teleplay Competition (early 4/30, reg 5/21)
NBC Writers On The Verge (5/30)
WB Writers’ Workshop (5/31)
Industry Insider Television Writing Contest (early 3/31, reg 5/31, final 6/30)
Slamdance Screenplay Competition (feature, short, webisode, TV; early 4/8, reg 6/10, late 7/22, WAB 7/29)
Big Break Contest (7/31)
Sundance Screenwriting Lab (US 5/1, intl’ 8/15 postmarked)
Grants & Other Funding
TFI’s Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund (2/4)
PUMA Impact Award (documentary films; 4/28)
From the Heart Production’s Roy W. Dean Grant (4/30)
WIF Film Finishing Fund (early 5/23, final 6/6)
Ford Foundation JustFilms Grants (rolling)
(Updated 3/16/14)
nywift
Related Posts
NYWIFT at Tribeca 2025: In Conversation with Victoria Hill
Victoria Hill is no stranger to creating cinematic magic, and her latest project, The Best You Can, premiering at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, is yet another example of her storytelling prowess. As lead producer of and actor in the narrative spotlight film — starring real-life couple Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick — Hill brings a deeply human story to life, exploring connection, loneliness, and unexpected friendship in midlife. NYWIFT Board Member Gretchen McGowan is one of the film’s executive producers. “When Victoria Hill and Andrew Mann brought Michael Weithorn’s script to us, I thought: we’re all ready for Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon to appear on the screen together again. This is something the world could use right about now,” McGowan said in a NYWIFT announcement of member projects at Tribeca. With a stellar career that spans producing, acting, and writing across internationally acclaimed films like First Reformed, The Chaperone, and The Secrets We Keep, Hill’s dedication to complex, character-driven stories continues to shine. In this exclusive NYWIFT interview, Hill shares insights into filming on location in NYC, collaborating with industry heavyweights, and her mission to amplify women’s voices through Fibonacci Films.
READ MORETribeca Festival 2025: Celebrating Stories, Icons, and Impact with NYWIFT
With this article, our coverage of the 2025 Tribeca Festival comes to a close — and what an unforgettable experience it has been. NYWIFT members LaKisa Renee and Tammy Reese had the incredible opportunity to represent the organization on the ground, capturing exclusive red carpet moments, world premieres, and powerful conversations highlighting the festival’s spirit of storytelling, advocacy, and artistic excellence. One of the most moving moments came when EGOT icon and past NYWIFT Muse Honoree Whoopi Goldberg gave a heartfelt shoutout to New York Women in Film & Television. Her support meant the world to our team.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Hayley Pace
Today, we’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on new NYWIFT member Hayley Pace, an award-winning production designer and actor whose unique blend of skills and passions continues to inspire us! Hayley Pace hails from Toronto, Ontario. They are known for their work on Schitt’s Creek (CBC), In The Dark (CW), and The Expanse (Amazon Prime). In addition to their on-screen work, Hayley has self-produced original projects through their experimental marching band theatre company, The Teeny Tiny Music Show, and has designed for numerous film, TV, and theatre productions across Canada. A graduate of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and York University’s BFA in Devised Theatre & Design, Hayley brings a dynamic and multidisciplinary approach to their artistry. We caught up with Hayley to discuss their career, their creative journey, and what brought them to NYWIFT.
READ MORENYWIFT at the 2025 Tribeca Festival: Music Legends, Maternal Power, and Unapologetic Truths
The 2025 Tribeca Festival may be in the rearview, but the stories told, the icons celebrated, and the bold truths shared are still echoing through the industry and NYWIFT was proud to be part of the magic. This year, NYWIFT’s own LaKisa Renee and Tammy Reese hit the red carpet to cover several of the festival’s standout spotlight documentary premieres, each of which celebrated trailblazers who transformed their personal journeys into global movements. From ’80s pop icons to maternal rights warriors and queer faith leaders, our coverage captured the heart, soul, and grit of storytelling at its finest.
READ MORE
