Mayor’s Office Launches Screenwriting Competition to Spotlight Baltimore Talent

Baltimore City residents and students have a new opportunity to showcase their storytelling prowess with the launch of Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s Baltimore Screenwriting Competition 2026. Organized by the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment (MOACE), this expanded initiative aims to celebrate and nurture local screenwriting talent across feature film, episodic, and short film formats, while also increasing youth engagement in the arts.

The competition is open to individuals residing in Baltimore City, as well as students attending high schools and colleges within the city. This inclusive approach is intended to foster a pipeline of independent filmmaking within Baltimore, providing a platform for emerging and established voices to share stories deeply rooted in the city’s culture and history. Submissions will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, 2026, with application details and guidelines available on the MOACE website.

An initial evaluation of all submitted scripts will be conducted by students from Coppin State University’s Urban Arts Program and Morgan State University’s Screenwriting and Animation (SWAN) Program. These preliminary reviews will be overseen by Dr. Garey A. Hyatt, Program Coordinator for Visual and Performing Arts at Coppin State, and Keith Mehlinger, Director and Associate Professor of the SWAN Program at Morgan State. Following this initial assessment, a panel composed of industry professionals, including established screenwriters, directors, producers, and film school faculty, will judge the top entries in each category.

The competition features distinct categories for Youth screenwriters, defined as Baltimore City high school students in grades 9-12 (including homeschooled students), and Adult screenwriters, who must be 18 years or older and not currently enrolled in high school. Scripts must adhere to industry-standard formatting and be submitted as PDF files. Adult participants are subject to submission fees: $50 for feature film scripts, $40 for episodic scripts, and $25 for short film scripts. In contrast, Youth participants and college students with valid student identification can submit their work free of charge.

Winners of the Baltimore Screenwriting Competition 2026 will be announced during the Charm City Live 2026 event. A total of $10,000 in cash prizes will be distributed across both the Youth and Adult competition categories, recognizing outstanding achievement in screenwriting.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Mayor’s Office of Baltimore City

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