Academy’s screenwriting competition underway

Mar 03, 2008 by Ian Evans

INT. WRITER’S OFFICE – DAY

We zoom in as a young writer reads a press release from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Over his shoulder we can read the words:

“The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is now accepting entries for the 2008 Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. As many as five $30,000 fellowships will be awarded through the program later this year.

Application forms may be downloaded from the Academy’s Web site and mailed with the other required materials, or they may be completed and submitted online. Interested parties should go to www.oscars.org/nicholl.

The Nicholl Fellowships competition is open to any individual who has not earned more than $5,000 from the sale or option of a screenplay or teleplay or received a fellowship or prize of more than $5,000 that includes a “first look” clause, an option, or any other quid pro quo involving the writer’s work. To enter, writers must submit a completed application form, one copy of their original screenplay in English, and an entry fee of US$30. Entries must be postmarked no later than May 1, 2008.

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.

Last year’s competition drew more than 5,000 entries. Since the program’s inception in 1985, 103 fellowships have been awarded.”

FADE OUT