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2002 Nicholl Fellows
Five new writers were selected to receive the 2002 Don and Gee
Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, presented by the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Each received the first installment
of the accompanying $30,000 prize at a dinner in Beverly Hills on
November 14, 2002 at which Academy Award-nominated screenwriter
Paul Attanasio ("Quiz Show," "Donnie Brasco")
delivered the keynote address.
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Nicholl Fellows
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Script
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| John Ciarlo |
Bend in the River |
| Matt Harris |
Moon of Popping Trees |
| Pamela Kay |
Nude and Naked |
| Kurt Kuenne |
Mason Mule |
| Creighton Rothenberger |
The Chosin |
The winners were selected from ten finalists, which had been winnowed
from a record 6,044 scripts submitted this year. 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.
Final judging was conducted by the Nicholl Committee, chaired by
producer Gale Anne Hurd and comprised of writers John Gay, Susannah
Grant, Fay Kanin, Hal Kanter, Dan Petrie Jr., Tom Rickman and Dan
Taradash, cinematographer John Bailey, editor Mia Goldman, actor
Eva Marie Saint, producers David Nicksay and Buffy Shutt, and agent
Ronald Mardigian.
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The 2002 recipients of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences' Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, pictured
with the Nicholl committee members who presented the winners
with their certificates and prize money checks. Standing (left
to right) are committee members Susannah Grant, Fay Kanin,
John Bailey, Ron Mardigian and Dan Petrie Jr. Seated (left
to right) are Fellows Kurt Kuenne, Creighton Rothenberger,
John Ciarlo, Pamela Kay and Matt Harris.
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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 78 fellowships
have been presented and there are numerous success stories among
the fellows. Most recently, Mike Rich, a 1998 Fellow, wrote "The
Rookie," which was released earlier this year. His Nicholl
entry script, "Finding Forrester," was released in 2000.
Fellow Karen Moncrieff (1998) directed her Nicholl script, "Blue
Car," and 1997 Fellow Anthony Jaswinski wrote and directed
"Killing Time," both films premiered at this year's Sundance
Film Festival. Ehren Kruger (1996) wrote the just released "The
Ring;" his other credits include "Reindeer Games"
and "Arlington Road." Allison Anders (1986 Fellow) has
a long list of writing and directing credits including last year's
"Things behind the Sun," and Gabrielle Burton (2000 Fellow)
wrote "Manna from Heaven," which premiered at the 2001
South By Southwest Film Festival. Grant, a 1992 Fellow who joined
the Nicholl committee last year, received an Academy Award nomination
in 2000 for her "Erin Brockovich" screenplay. Also in
2000, Raymond De Felitta (1991) directed his fellowship-year script,
"Two Family House," which premiered at the Sundance Film
Festival and was released later that year; Andrew W. Marlowe (1992)
wrote "Hollow Man;" and Randall McCormick (1987) received
co-story credit on "Titan A.E."
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