The 2025 Bay List
The Bay List is a new initiative to identify and highlight ten exceptional screenplays and pilots by writers from or with close ties to the Bay Area!
The Bay List is a collaboration between The Black List and Rafael Casal, bringing together an array of incredible partners from the Bay Area who look forward to celebrating screenplays from a new generation of emerging storytellers. Our partners for the inaugural Bay List include:
Dreams With Friends Inc. / Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs
186K Films / Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam
5 Stick Films / Benjamin Bratt, Peter Bratt, and Alpital Patel
826 Valencia / Dave Eggers
BAVC Media
Cinemama / a collective of local filmmakers founded by Boots Riley, Laura Wagner, and George Rush
Dolby Laboratories
Jingletown Films / Cheryl Dunye and Karina Hodoyan
Joe Talbot / The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Life in Motion Productions / Misty Copeland
Lucasfilm / LeAndre Thomas
Peter Nicks / Stephen Curry: Underrated, The Force, Homeroom
Playtone / Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman
Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden / Captain Marvel, Freaky Tales
Unanimous Media / Stephen Curry and Erick Peyton
Who Knows Best Productions / W. Kamau Bell and Melissa Hudson Bell
Together, these partners aim to celebrate some of the great screenplays and pilots coming from the socially and politically diverse Bay Area.
Timeline
After submissions close on April 8, 2025, The Black List will determine a longlist of up to 30 screenplays and pilots. Longlisted writers will be asked to submit additional materials, such as a personal statement and resume. The Black List and supporting partners will then establish a shortlist of the most promising screenplays and pilots. The final ten projects on the Bay List will be announced in summer 2025.
Bay List partner production companies and organizations have pledged benefits to support the ten selected projects.
Fee Waivers
Bay List Fee Waivers - Dolby Laboratories will provide fee waivers for one month of free hosting and one free evaluation for the first 150 eligible submissions to the Bay List. The Black List and partners will have the right to approve or reject each request based on eligibility.
General Fee Waivers - Once per year, writers may request a fee waiver for one free month of hosting and one free evaluation. You can access this application via the Fee Waiver tab of your Account Settings.