2011 Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship winners announced

Oct 18, 2011 by Ian Evans

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have announced the winners of the 26th annual Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. The writers, or writing teams, will receive a $30,000 prize, as well as a gala dinner in Beverly Hills on November 3.

The 2011 Nicholl Fellows are (listed alphabetically by author):

• Chris Bessounian & Tianna Langham, Guns and Saris
• Dion Cook, Cutter
• John MacInnes, Outside the Wire
• Matthew Murphy, Unicorn
• Abel Vang & Burlee Vang, The Tiger’s Child

The writers were selected from a record 6,730 scripts submitted for this year’s competition and judged by a committee chaired by producer Gale Anne Hurd. The committee was composed of writers Naomi Foner, Daniel Petrie, Jr., Tom Rickman and Dana Stevens; actor Eva Marie Saint; cinematographers John Bailey and Steven B. Poster; costume designer Vicki Sanchez; executive Bill Mechanic; producers Peter Samuelson and Robert W. Shapiro; marketing executive Buffy Shutt, and agent Ronald R. Mardigian.