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Finalists Selected for Academy's Nicholl Screenwriting Competition

Beverly Hills, CA - Eleven finalists have been selected for the 2001 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, who may select as many as five of the writers to each receive the prestigious $30,000 fellowships.

This year's finalists are (listed alphabetically by writer's name):

Sean P. Bridges; Austin, Texas; script: "Journeyman"
Patricia Burroughs; Garland, Texas; script: "Redemption"
Greg M. Dawless; Los Angeles, California; script: "One Hour Development"
Robert S. Edwards; New York, New York; script: "Land of the Blind"
Danelle Y. Hand; Valley Village, California; script: "The Legacy"
Albert Letizia; Los Angeles, California; script: "The Northern Lights"
Eric J. Litra; Monroe, Michigan; script: "God's Water"
Joann M. Ludovici; Mar Vista, California; script: "The Con"
David A. MacGregor; Livonia, Michigan; script: "The Late Great Henry Boyle"
John R. Marlow; Sacramento, California; script: "Nano"
Cameron B. Young; Foothill Ranch, California; script: "Saint Vincent"


Burroughs was a finalist in last year's competition as well, with a script titled "Dreamers."

The finalists were selected from nearly 5,500 scripts submitted for this year's competition - a record number of entries. 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.

These eleven scripts will now be judged by the Nicholl Committee, chaired by writer Fay Kanin and comprised of writers John Gay, Susannah Grant, Hal Kanter, Dan Petrie Jr., Tom Rickman and Dan Taradash, cinematographer John Bailey, editor Mia Goldman, actor Eva Marie Saint, producers Gale Anne Hurd (who serves as committee vice-chair), David Nicksay, Peter Samuelson and Buffy Shutt, and agent Ronald Mardigian.

Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a feature-length screenplay during the fellowship year. The Academy acquires no rights to the works of Nicholl fellows and does not involve itself commercially in any way with their completed scripts.

Since the program's inception in 1985, a total of 68 fellowships have been presented and there are numerous success stories among the fellows. Most recently, Grant, a 1992 Fellow who joined the Nicholl committee this year, received an Academy Award nomination for her "Erin Brockovich" screenplay. Allison Anders (1986 Fellow) co-wrote and directed "Things behind the Sun," which premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, and Gabrielle Burton (2000 Fellow) wrote "Manna from Heaven," which premiered at the 2001 South By Southwest Film Festival. In 2000, Raymond De Felitta (1991) directed his Fellowship-year script, "Two Family House," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically last October; Ehren Kruger (1996) wrote "Reindeer Games" and "Scream 3," Andrew W. Marlowe (1992) wrote "Hollow Man;" and Randall McCormick (1987) received co-story credit on "Titan A.E." Mike Rich's 1998 Nicholl entry script, "Finding Forrester," directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Sean Connery, was also released in 2000. Numerous other winners have sold their Nicholl entry screenplays and other work.

Updated: 10/18/2001

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