The Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting is a

fellowship A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher educatio ...

program founded in 1986 to aid

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

s. It is administered by the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...

History

Gee Nicholl, widow of producer Don Nicholl, worked with Julian Blaustein in 1985 to develop the program with the Academy. The original 1986 winners were

Allison Anders Allison Anders (born November 16, 1954) is an American independent film director whose films include '' Gas Food Lodging'', ''Mi Vida Loca'' and ''Grace of My Heart''. Anders has collaborated with fellow UCLA School of Theater, Film and Televis ...

, Dennis Clontz, and Jeff Eugenides. 1989 fellow Radha Bharadwaj wrote the first screenplay made into a film, the 1991 drama ''

Closet Land ''Closet Land'' is a 1991 independent film written and directed by Radha Bharadwaj. The film stars Madeleine Stowe as a young author of children's books and Alan Rickman as a sadistic secret policeman who is interrogating her. The film was release ...

''. Clontz won a

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

in 1994 and Eugenides won one in 2003. 1992 fellow Susannah Grant was the first nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, for the screenplay for '' Erin Brockovich''. The fellowship celebrated its 25th year in 2010.Kilday, Greg (October 18, 2010)
Michael Arndt to Give Keynote at AMPAS' Nicholl Fellowships Dinner.
''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

'' Beginning in 2013, a reading of scenes from winning screenplays have been performed by professional actors in front of an audience. In 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the reading was conducted virtually. Actors that have participated in these readings over the years include:

Kathy Baker } Katherine Whitton Baker (born June 8, 1950) is an American actress. Baker began her career in theater and made her screen debut in the 1983 drama film '' The Right Stuff''. She received the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Suppor ...

Elle Fanning Mary Elle Fanning (born April 9, 1998) is an American actress. She made her film debut as the younger version of her sister Dakota Fanning's character in the drama film '' I Am Sam'' (2001). As a child actress, she appeared in several films, i ...

Ken Jeong Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong (, ; born July 13, 1969) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, producer, writer and licensed physician. He rose to prominence for playing Leslie Chow in ''The Hangover'' film series (2009–2013) and Ben Chang in the ...

Gugu Mbatha-Raw Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha-Raw (; born 21 April 1983) is a British actress who is known for her performances on stage and screen. In 2017 she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama ...

Freida Pinto Freida Selena Pinto (born 18 October 1984) is an Indian actress who has appeared mainly in American and British films. Born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra, she resolved at a young age to become an actress. As a student at St. Xavier's Col ...

Alia Shawkat Alia Martine Shawkat ( ; ar, عليا مارتين شوكت; born April 18, 1989) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in '' The Old Man'', '' State of Grace'', Maeby Fünke in the Fox/Netflix television sitcom '' Arrested Devel ...

, Wes Studi,

Blair Underwood Blair Erwin Underwood (born August 25, 1964) is an American actor. He made his debut in the 1985 musical film ''Krush Groove'' and from 1987 to 1994 starred as attorney Jonathan Rollins in the NBC legal drama series ''L.A. Law''. Underwood has a ...

Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. Vaughn began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 comedy-drama film '' Swingers''. He has appeared in ...

, and

Anton Yelchin Anton Viktorovich Yelchin ( rus, Антон Викторович Ельчин, p=ɐnˈton ˈvʲiktərəvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtɕɪn; March 11, 1989 – June 19, 2016) was an American actor. Born in the Soviet Union to a Russian Jewish family, he emigr ...

. As of the 2013 contest, 17 winning scripts have later been produced.

Fellows

2020-present

2022 Nicholl Fellows * Jennifer Archer, ''Into the Deep Blue'' * Callie Bloem and Christopher Ewing, ''Tape 22'' * Sam Boyer, ''Ojek'' * J.M. Levine, ''Operation Gemini'' * Timothy Ware-Hill, ''Tyrone and the Looking Glass'' 2021 Nicholl Fellows * Haley Hope Bartels, ''Pumping Black'' * Karin delaPeña Collison, ''Coming of Age'' * Byron Hamel, ''Shade of the Grapefruit Tree'' * R.J. Daniel Hanna, ''Shelter Animal'' * Laura Kosann, ''The Ideal Woman'' 2020 Nicholl Fellows * James Acker, ''Sadboi'' * Beth Curry, ''Lemon'' * Vanar Jaddou, ''Goodbye, Iraq'' * Kate Marks, ''The Cow of Queens'' * Jane Therese, ''Sins of My Father''

2010-2019

2019 Nicholl Fellows * Aaron Chung, ''Princess Vietnam'' * Karen McDermott, ''Lullabies of La Jaula'' * Renee Pillai, ''Boy with Kite'' * Sean Malcolm, ''Mother'' * Walker McKnight, ''Street Rat Allie Punches Her Ticket'' 2018 Nicholl Fellows * Allison Buckmelter and Nicolas Buckmelter, ''American Refugee'' * Joey Clarke, Jr., ''Miles'' * Grace Sherman, ''Numbers and Words'' * Wenonah Wilms, ''Horsehead Girls'' 2017 Nicholl Fellows * Vigil Chime, ''Bring Back Girl'' * SJ Inwards, ''Jellyfish Summer'' * Max Lance and Jen Bailey, ''The Queen of Sleaze'' * KG Rockmaker, ''Last Days of Winter'' * Cesar Vitale, ''The Great Nothing'' 2016 Nicholl Fellows * Michele Atkins, ''Talking About the Sky'' * Spencer Harvey and Lloyd Harvey, ''Photo Booth'' * Geeta Malik, ''Dinner with Friends'' * Elizabeth Oyebode, ''Tween the Ropes'' * Justin Piasecki, ''Death of an Ortolan'' 2015 Nicholl Fellows *

Amy Tofte Amy is a female given name, sometimes short for Amanda, Amelia, Amélie, or Amita. In French, the name is spelled ''" Aimée"''. People A–E * Amy Acker (born 1976), American actress * Amy Vera Ackman, also known as Mother Giovanni (1886– ...

, ''Addis Abeka'' *

Andrew Friedhof Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derive ...

, ''Great Falls'' *

Anthony Grieco Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the ''Antonii'', a '' gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anto ...

, '' Best Sellers'' (Produced) *

Elizabeth Chomko Elizabeth Chomko (born 1981) is an American playwright, film director, screenwriter and actress best known for the film ''What They Had.'' Early life Chomko grew up in Chicago, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Her family moved to Belgium when she ...

, ''

What They Had ''What They Had'' is a 2018 American drama film written and directed by Elizabeth Chomko (in her feature directorial debut) and starring Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Robert Forster, Blythe Danner, Taissa Farmiga, and Josh Lucas. The film had ...

'' (Produced) * Sam Regnier, ''Free Agent'' 2014 Nicholl Fellows *Sam Baron, ''The Science of Love and Laughter'' * Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles, ''United States of Fuckin' Awesome'' * Melissa Iqbal, ''The Death Engine'' * Sallie West, ''Moonflower'' 2013 Nicholl Fellows * Frank DeJohn & David Alton Hedges, ''Legion'' * Patty Jones, ''Joe Banks'' * Alan Roth, ''Jersey City Story'' * Stephanie Shannon, ''Queen of Hearts'' * Barbara Stepansky, ''Sugar in My Veins'' 2012 Nicholl Fellows * Nikole Beckwith, ''Stockholm, Pennsylvania'' (Produced) * Sean Robert Daniels, ''Killers'' * James DiLapo, ''Devils at Play'' * Allan Durand, ''Willie Francis Must Die Again'' * Michael Werwie, '' Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile'' (Produced) 2011 Nicholl Fellows * 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'' 2010 Nicholl Fellows *

Destin Daniel Cretton Destin Daniel Cretton is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his films ''Short Term 12'' (2013), '' The Glass Castle'' (2017), ''Just Mercy'' (2019) and the Marvel Studios film '' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'' (2021). He h ...

, ''

Short Term 12 ''Short Term 12'' is a 2013 American independent drama film written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. It is adapted from Cretton's short film of the same name, produced in 2009. The film stars Brie Larson as Grace Howard, a young supervisor ...

'' (Produced) * Marvin Krueger, ''And Handled with a Chain'' *

Andrew Lanham Andrew Lanham is an American film screenwriter best known for his collaborations with Destin Daniel Cretton, including ''The Shack'' (2017), '' The Glass Castle'' (2017), ''Just Mercy'' (2019), and '' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' ...

, ''The Jumper of Maine'' * Micah Ranum, '' A Good Hunter'' (Produced) * Cinthea Stahl, ''Identifying Marks''

2000-2009

2009 Nicholl Fellows * Matt Ackley, ''Victoria Falls'' * Vineet Dewan and

Angus Fletcher Angus Fletcher was a British businessman and member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. Fletcher was made Justice of the Peace in 1855. He was appointed member of the Legislative Council on 10 December 1860 in room of George Lyall who resign ...

, ''Sand Dogs'' * John Griffin, ''Dream Before Waking'' * Nidhi Anna Verghese, ''Jallianwala Bagh'' * Jeff Williams, ''Pure'' 2008 Nicholl Fellows * Jeremy Bandow, ''Hive'' *

Ken Kristensen Ken Kristensen is a screenwriter, TV writer, and comic book author. Kristensen has served as writer-producer on multiple series including '' Shantaram'' (Apple TV+/Paramount), '' The Continental: From the World of John Wick'' (Peacock/Lionsgate ...

Colin Marshall Colin Marsh Marshall, Baron Marshall of Knightsbridge (16 November 1933 – 5 July 2012), was a British businessman and member of the House of Lords. Early and family life Marshall was educated at University College School, an independent schoo ...

, ''Out of Breath'' * Jason A. Micallef, ''

Butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condim ...

'' (Produced) * Eric Nazarian, ''Giants'' * Lee Patterson, ''Snatched'' 2007 Nicholl Fellows *

Amy Garcia Amy Garcia (born 24 May 1981) is an English journalist and broadcaster. She is currently the main anchor of the BBC Yorkshire regional magazine programme '' Look North''. Early life Garcia was born in Wakefield; her mother is English and her f ...

& Cecilia Contreras, ''Amelia Earhart and the Bologna Rainbow Highway'' * Michael L. Hare, ''The Fly Fisher'' * Sidney King, ''Kalona'' * David Mango, ''Kissing a Suicide Bomber'' *Andrew Shearer & Nicholas J. Sherman,
Holy Irresistible
' 2006 Nicholl Fellows * Alfred E. Carpenter & Mark A. Matusof, ''38 Mercury'' * Arthur M. Jolly, ''The Free Republic of Bobistan'' * Stephanie Lord, ''Palau Rain'' * Josh D. Schorr, ''10 Day Contract'' * Scott K. Simonsen, ''Tides of Summer'' 2005 Nicholl Fellows * Morgan Read-Davidson, ''The Days Between'' * Seth Resnik & Ron Moskovitz, ''Fire in a Coal Mine'' * Michael D. Zungolo, ''No Country'' * Colleen Cooper De Maio, ''Pirates of Lesser Providence'' * Gian Marco Masoni, ''Ring of Fire'' 2004 Nicholl Fellows * Sean Mahoney, ''Fenian's Trace'' *Daniel Lawrence, ''The Gaza Golem'' *

Doug Davidson Douglas Donald Davidson (born October 24, 1954) is an American Emmy Award winning television actor. He has portrayed Paul Williams on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' since May 1978, making him the series' longest-serving cas ...

, ''Letter Quest'' * Whit Rummel, ''The Secret Boy'' * John Sinclair & Nova Jacobs, ''Split Infinity'' 2003 Nicholl Fellows * Andrea R. Herman, ''Augmentation'' * Tejal K. Desai & Brian C. Wray, ''Linda and Henry'' * Annie Reid, ''Revival'' * Bragi Schut Jr., '' Season of the Witch'' (Produced) * James N. Mottern, ''

Trucker A truck driver (commonly referred to as a trucker, teamster, or driver in the United States and Canada; a truckie in Australia and New Zealand; a HGV driver in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the European Union, a lorry driver, or driver in ...

'' (Produced) 2002 Nicholl Fellows * John Ciarlo, ''Bend in the River'' * Matt Harris, ''Moon of Popping Trees'' * Pamela Kay, ''Nude and Naked'' *

Kurt Kuenne Kurt Kuenne is an American filmmaker and composer. He has directed a number of short and feature films, including ''Rent-a-Person'', the YouTube film ''Validation'', described as "a romantic epic in miniature", and the documentary '' Dear Zachar ...

, ''Mason Mule'' * Creighton Rothenberger, ''The Chosin'' 2001 Nicholl Fellows * Patricia Burroughs, ''Redemption'' * Greg M. Dawless, ''One Hour Development'' * Robert S. Edwards, ''

Land of the Blind ''Land of the Blind'' is a 2006 British-American drama film starring Ralph Fiennes, Donald Sutherland, Tom Hollander and Lara Flynn Boyle. ''Land of the Blind'' is a dark political satire, based on several incidents throughout history in which ...

'' (Produced) * Albert Letizia, ''The Northern Lights'' * Cameron B. Young, ''Saint Vincent'' 2000 Nicholl Fellows *

Doug Atchison Doug Atchison is an American film, motion picture Film director, director and screenwriter. He received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, Nicholl Fellowship for the screenplay for ''Akeelah and t ...

, '' Akeelah and the Bee'' (Produced) * Alfredo Botello, ''The Crasher'' *

Gabrielle Burton Gabrielle Burton (born Gabrielle Diane Bridget Baker; August 21, 1939 – September 3, 2015) was an American feminist novelist and screenwriter. Biography She was born in Lansing, Michigan to Clifford and Helen (née Dailey) Baker. She attended ...

, ''The Imperial Waltz'' * Christine R. Downs, ''Victory Road'' * James M. Foley, ''Powder River Breakdown''

1990-1999

1999 Nicholl Fellows * Chris E. Balibrera, ''Harvest'' * T. J. Lynch, ''The Beginning of Wisdom'' * Annmarie E. Morais, ''Bleeding'' * Jaime David Silverman, ''Last Meals'' * Rebecca A. Sonnenshine, ''Mermaid Dreams'' 1998 Nicholl Fellows * Jacob A. Estes, '' Mean Creek'' (Produced) * Robert H. Gyde, ''Jelly-Babies'' * Donna McNeely, ''Julia's Child'' * Karen M. Moncrieff, '' Blue Car'' (Produced) * Michael A. Rich, '' Finding Forrester'' (Produced) 1997 Nicholl Fellows * Glen Craney, ''Whisper the Wind'' * Scott Ferraiolo, ''The Palace of Versailles'' * Anthony J. Jaswinski, ''Interstate'' * Karen Otoole, ''Wild Horses'' * Michele Sutter, ''This Place in the Ways'' 1996 Nicholl Fellows * Will Chandler, ''Cyrano of Linden View'' * Ehren Kruger, ''

Arlington Road ''Arlington Road'' is a 1999 drama film directed by Mark Pellington and starring Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, and Hope Davis. The film tells the story of a widowed George Washington University professor who suspects his new neighbors ar ...

'' (Produced) * Carlton Proctor, ''Sommerville'' * Brian Teshera, ''...In a Heartbeat'' * Craig von Wiederhold, ''Dead Eyes'' 1995 Nicholl Fellows *

Richard Cray Richard Cray (born September 10, 1958) is an American actor and singer. Education A native of Kinston, North Carolina, Richard was chosen as a teenager to participate in a unique educational program called The " Governor's School of North Caro ...

, ''Love, Squid & Pavarotti'' * Scott Fifer, ''Starstruck'' * Patrick Gilfillan, ''G.U. (Geographically Undesirable)'' * Robley Wilson, ''Land Fishers'' 1994 Nicholl Fellows *

Max D. Adams Max D. Adams is an American screenwriter and author. The winner of a Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting and an Austin Film Festival screenwriting award, Adams went on to be dubbed “Red Hot Adams” by Daily Variety. Career Adams has worked wi ...

, ''My Back Yard'' * Steve Garvin, ''Status Quo'' * Charles Henrich, ''Joshua Tree'' * Glenn Levin, ''Spano and the Kid'' 1993 Nicholl Fellows * Victoria Jennings Arch, ''A Terrible Beauty'' * Bob Bridges, ''Doniphan of the Americas'' * Myron E. Goble, ''

Down in the Delta ''Down in the Delta'' is a 1998 American-Canadian drama film, directed by Maya Angelou in her sole film directorial effort and starring Alfre Woodard, Al Freeman, Jr., Esther Rolle (in her final film appearance before her death), Loretta Devine, ...

'' (Produced) * Jodi Ann Johnson, ''Mama & Me'' * Dawn O'Leary, ''Island of Brilliance'' (Produced) 1992 Nicholl Fellows * Robert N. Cohen, ''The Good Ole Boy'' * Susannah Grant, ''Island Girl'' *

Andrew W. Marlowe Andrew W. Marlowe (sometimes Andrew Marlowe) is an American screenwriter. Marlowe is best known for being the creator of, a executive producer of, and a writer on ''Castle'', a crime mystery and comedy-drama TV show, that ran on ABC from 2009 ...

, ''The Lehigh Pirates'' * Terri Edda Miller, ''Bedwarmer'' * Michelle Wollmers, ''Infidels'' 1991 Nicholl Fellows * Len Alaria, ''War Cry'' * Peter Crow, ''Trace'' * Raymond De Felitta, ''Begin the Beguine'' * Ronald Emmons, ''By Bread Alone'' * Brian Reich, ''Baubles'' 1990 Nicholl Fellows * David Gordon, ''Rocketman'' *

Robert Gregory Browne Robert Gregory Browne is an American novelist, former screenwriter, and co-founder and creative director of Braun Haus Media, LLC. Early life Browne was born in California, but at the age of eleven, moved with his family to Honolulu, Hawaii. ...

, ''Low Tide'' * Kent Rizley, ''The Gentlemen'' * Thomas Smith, ''Slings and Arrows'' * Wanda Warner, ''Chief to Chief''

1986-1989

1989 Nicholl Fellows * Radha Bharadwaj, ''

'' (Produced) *

Mark Lowenthal Mark M. Lowenthal (born September 5, 1948) is an author and Adjunct Professor at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD He has written five books and over 90 articles or studies on intelligence and na ...

, ''Where the Elephant Sits'' (Produced) * James McGlynn, ''

Traveller Traveler(s), traveller(s), The Traveler(s), or The Traveller(s) may refer to: People Generic terms *One engaged in travel * Explorer, one who searches for the purpose of discovery of information or resources * Nomad, a member of a community wit ...

'' (Produced) * Deborah Pryor, ''Briar Patch'' (Produced) * Laverne Stringer, ''The Cotton Gin Athletic Club'' 1988 Nicholl Fellows *No fellowships awarded 1987 Nicholl Fellows *

Christopher Bishop Christopher Michael Bishop (born 7 April 1959) is the Laboratory Director at Microsoft Research Cambridge, Honorary Professor of Computer Science at the University of Edinburgh and a Fellow of Darwin College, Cambridge. Bishop is a member ...

, ''Swampers'' * Kevin Coffey, ''Fadeaway'' * Sallie Groo, ''Daughters of Music'' * Marie Angela Kellier, ''Solita's Rise'' * Randall McCormick, ''Giant Steps'' * Warren Taylor, ''In the Dark'' (Produced) * Priscilla Waggoner, ''Mother's Nature'' 1986 Nicholl Fellows *

, ''Lost Highway'' * Dennis Clontz, ''Generations'' (play) * Jeff Eugenides, ''Here Comes Winston, Full of the Holy Spirit'' (fiction)

References

{{reflist

External links

Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
via

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Scholarships in the United States Awards established in 1986 1986 establishments in the United States