Academy announces finalists for Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting

Oct 05, 2006 by Ian Evans

Ten scripts have been selected as finalists for the 21st annual Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The scripts will now be read and judged by the Nicholl Committee, which may award as many as five of the prestigious $30,000 fellowships.

This year’s finalists are (listed alphabetically by script title):

• Abilene, Michael Raymond, Auckland, New Zealand, and Seattle, Washington
• Armored, James V. Simpson, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
• Beatrice Creek, Eric J. Litra, Monroe, Michigan
• The Free Republic of Bobistan, Arthur M. Jolly, Marina del Rey, California
• Mr. Burnout, Eric T. Gravning, Santa Monica, California
• Palau Rain, Stephanie Lord, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Peepers, Clark E. Morrow, Olathe, Kansas
• 10 Day Contract, Josh D. Schorr, South Pasadena, California
• 38 Mercury, Alfred E. Carpenter, Alexandria, Virginia, and Mark A. Matusof, Woodbridge, Virginia
• Tides of Summer, Scott K. Simonsen, Hermosa Beach, California

The finalists were selected from 4,899 scripts submitted for this year’s competition. The competition is open to any individual who has not sold or optioned a screenplay or teleplay for more than $5,000 or received a fellowship or prize that includes a “first look” clause, an option, or any other quid pro quo involving the writer’s work.

The ten finalist scripts will now be judged by the Nicholl Committee, chaired by writer and 1992 Nicholl Fellow Susannah Grant and composed of writers Naomi Foner, Fay Kanin, Hal Kanter and Dan Petrie Jr., cinematographers John Bailey and Steven Poster, editor Mia Goldman, actor Eva Marie Saint, executive Bill Mechanic, producers Gale Anne Hurd, David Nicksay, Robert Shapiro and Buffy Shutt, and agent Ron Mardigian.