Paul Haggis - Photo by Alex Gibson

On March 5, 2006, Paul Haggis became the first screenwriter in Oscar history to have written back-to-back Best Picture Winners. His adaptation of Million Dollar Baby (2004) was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and his original screenplay for Crash (2005), written with Bobby Moresco, resulted in Oscars for both writing and producing the film. Haggis’ seemingly overnight explosion in the feature film world came after over 25 years of writing for television, on such shows as The Facts of Life, The Tracey Ullman Show, thirtysomething, Due South, L.A. Law, EZ Streets and Family Law. Haggis will discuss his approach to writing, his influences, and his unique journeys through the development process.

The evening will be moderated by Academy Governor Phil Alden Robinson, writer and director of Field of Dreams and director of The Sum of All Fears.

Crash (2005)

The Marvin Borowsky Lecture on Screenwriting provides an opportunity for established film writers to share their experiences, and to discuss the challenges and delights of writing for the screen. The Lecture is named in memory of the screenwriter, novelist and teacher. Past lectures have been given by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, Robert Towne, Lawrence Kasdan, Richard Brooks, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, Jay Presson Allen, Waldo Salt, Philip Dunne, John Sayles, Bo Goldman, Nora Ephron, Ron Bass, Kevin Smith, Paul Schrader and Gary Ross.