The Maverick Movie Awards annually honors films and screenplays. They were founded as the New Haven Underground Film Festival in 2004, and became known as Maverick Movie Awards in 2008. The awards are given out by a panel of judges working in the film industry. Its winners include both big-budget studio films as well as low budget independent films. An international film competition and awards event, MMA has received submissions for awards consideration from many notable filmmakers including Academy Award-nominee Sue Goffe, Academy Award-nominee Grant Orchard, Academy Award-nominee Pierre Coffin, and BAFTA Award-winners Bart Layton and Dimitri Doganis. Additionally, numerous films submitted to Maverick Movie Awards have featured the work of notable actors such as Academy Award-winner Jim B