Bridget in Manhattan

In the electrifying heart of 1920s Manhattan, where jazz clubs pulse and skyscrapers soar, Bridget Campbell, an Irish immigrant with extraordinary talent, becomes the aristocratic Beatrice Campbell. But what secrets lie beneath her glittering façade?

Anne Morgan, a real-life champion of women’s rights, hides a forbidden love. Belle Da Costa Greene, a renowned librarian, conceals her African American heritage. In a city where appearances are everything, what must they sacrifice to protect their truths?

How long can Bridget sustain her deception? Will Anne dare to embrace her true self? Can Belle keep her identity hidden in a world obsessed with uncovering secrets?

As these trailblazing women navigate love, betrayal, and ambition, they confront personal demons and societal constraints. What will be the cost of their defiance? Will their quest for authenticity ignite change or lead to their downfall?

In the roaring 1920s of Manhattan, where every secret has a price, will these women’s hidden truths fuel their dreams or bring them to ruin?

  • Niamh Gormley
    Writer
    Bridget in Manhattan, selected for Sundance Collab "From Outline to Pilot"
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Number of Pages:
    60
  • Country of Origin:
    Ireland
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of South Wales
  • Imagine This Women's International Film Festival - Imagine This Women's Film Festival 2024
    New York
    July 22, 2024
    Finalist , Imagine This Women's International Film Festival - Imagine This Women's Film Festival 2024
  • The Sugar Loaf International Film Festival, New York
    New York
    September 29, 2024
    Best Screenplay, TV Pilot
  • Winner, Best TV Pilot
    New York
  • London International Screenwriting Competition
    London
    September 28, 2024
    Finalist, Best Screenplay
  • New York Metropolitan Screenwriting Competition & Film Awards
    New York
    September 21, 2024
    Quarter Finalist
  • The Bowery Film Festival, Manhattan.
    New York
    November 21, 2024
    Finalist, Best TV Pilot
Writer Biography - Niamh Gormley

Niamh is an Irish Masters graduate and a writer with an interest in economic history and period drama writing. Her 1920’s period drama has been described as a trailblazer of a screenplay. Her TV Pilot “Bridget in Manhattan” was awarded “BEST TV PILOT” the New York Sugar Loaf Film Festival .
Best TV Pilot Finalist, in The Imagine This Women's International Film Festival, New York, 2024.
Bridget in Manhattan is inspired by her grandmother’s immigrant journey to New York in 1920.

"BRIDGET IN MANHATTAN": SELECTED FOR THE SUNDANCE COLLAB: FROM OUTLINE TO FIRST DRAFT PILOT

On BRIDGET IN MANHATTAN "...I love this period piece and the writer does such an incredible job in the action lines to bring us right inside of this world. "
bridgetinmanhattan.com

Education: Sundance Collab Writer's Group. Queens University Belfast: B.A . Honours Degree

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Writer Statement

"Bridget in Manhattan" is a deeply personal tribute to my grandmother's journey to New York in 1920. This screenplay intertwines the lives of real and fictional women, delving into themes of self-abnegation, societal constraints, secrets, lies, and ambition. Through the hidden struggles and fierce determination of these women on screen, I explore the immense cost of defying societal norms to pursue one's true self.

This project is a homage to the spirit of those who came before us, It is a testament to resilience, a celebration of courage, and a reflection of the power of storytelling to connect us all.