It was again the largest year yet for the NHFF Screenplay Competition, which continues to grow in both quantity and quality, since it was introduced in 2002. The submissions featured some especially creative and competitive material, making the process difficult for our committee to determine the finalists we proudly list below.
This year’s special guest industry judge, Shelby Gaines, will decide our 2026 Best Screenplay Award. The winner will be announced and awarded at our awards ceremony on Sunday, October 18, the last day of the festival.
Star Island will once again host our award winner for a one-week residency at the Star Island Family Retreat and Conference Center. The prize package includes room, board, and more—for two guests.
Estranged sisters Jolene and Andrea reluctantly reunite to drive their father to a memory care facility in Northern California.
Lara had a happy childhood until her parents died when she was only 12, upending her life. Learning by trial and error, she discovered that she is intersex and embarked on a path riddled with prejudice and loneliness. Now 28, everything changes one day when she crosses paths with Julia, a mysterious middle-aged single mother whose life has been scarred by abuse and pain. What begins as an unexpected attraction deepens into a bond that propels them down unforeseen roads.
In a video message, a social media acolyte invites other women to have sex with her boyfriend, but only if they film their review after. A game of power dynamics intertwines the lives of several amused participants, then the videos leak and those lives are forever changed, destroyed, or ended.
The true story of an obsessive military logistics specialist who sees the future in a Seattle laundromat in 1996 and returns to Anchorage to build one of America’s first Internet cafes. What begins as a $15,500 gamble becomes a warm, chaotic refuge beneath a hand-painted surfboard sign, where soldiers, gamers, lawyers, artists, tourists and misfits find fast bandwidth, strong coffee and, unexpectedly, one another. Though the cafe is now gone, the network isn’t and the clan endures.
THANKS TO OUR 2026 SCREENPLAY COMPETITION JUDGE
Shelby Gaines
Screenwriter, Composer
Shelby’s latest screenplay is for The Weight, an action-adventure film starring Russell Crowe and Ethan Hawke that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and opens in theaters September 18. Shelby scored the film as well, with his brother Latham Gaines. Shelby also co-wrote Wildcat, a film about the life of writer Flannery O’Connor, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and released theatrically in 2024. Directed and co-written by Ethan Hawke, the film stars Maya Hawke, Laura Linney, Philip Ettinger, Rafael Casal, Cooper Hoffman, Steve Zahn, Vincent D’Onofrio, Alessandro Nivola and Willa Fitzgerald. Shelby and Latham scored this film too. Other screenplays include a remake of The Gunfighter for 20th Century; Satan Is Real, the story of Country Music Hall of Fame duo The Louvin Brothers; as well as Camino Real, an adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ play, co-written with Ethan Hawke.
THANKS TO OUR SCREENPLAY COMPETITION DIRECTOR
Angie Lane
Executive Director, Red River Theatres
Angie is the Executive Director of Red River Theatres, the state’s leading indie movie theater. She serves as the organization’s key spokesperson and as an advocate for the arts in NH.
THANKS TO OUR 2026 SCREENPLAY COMPETITION COMMITTEE
Beth Boucher, Tricia Carr, Jef Connor, Sean Desautelle, Samuel Doyon, Dessaline Etienne, Amber Ferrier, Rob Greene, Ian Hart, Christina Hoppe, Becky Howland, Lydea Irwin, Erin LaFond, Zacharie Ledoux, Dylan Marsh, Curt McDermott, Austin Noto-Moniz, Naomi Raices, Madeline Randall, Eric Ratinoff, Erin Schiack, Ryleigh Seuferet, Will Stewart, Christina Vagi, Han Waltz, Jocelyn Winn
Star Island is one of the nine Isles of Shoals located seven miles off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine. From mid-June through mid-September, all are welcome to explore the island for a day, enjoy a meal, spend the night, or attend a conference. For the last 100 years, Star Island has offered an all-inclusive summer camp experience for families and hosted a wide variety of themed weeks and personal retreats. Star is owned and operated by the nonprofit Star Island Corporation. Whether you find yourself mesmerized by the sunset in a rocking chair on the porch, exploring Gosport Harbor in a kayak, or learning about innovative environmental programs, Star Island is unforgettable.
