Nicholl Committee announces ten screenplay finallists

The scripts will now be read and judged by the Academy’s Nicholl Committee, which may award up to five of the $30,000 fellowships.

This year’s finallists listed alphabetically by author are: Art Corriveau, Santa Fe, New Mexico, for Nicky Flynn Finally Gets A Life; Destin Daniel Cretton, San Diego, Califorina, for Short Term 12; Sebastian Davis, Los Angeles, California, for Drunk-Dialing; Marvin Krueger, North Hollywood, California, for And Handled With A Chain; Andrew Lanham, Austin, Texas, for The Jumper Of Maine; Tim Macy, Kansas City, Missouri, for The Last Queen; Micah Ranum, Beverly Hills, California, for A Good Hunter; Cinthea Stahl, North Hollywood, California, for Identifying Marks; Logan Steiner, Redondo Beach, California, for The Promise Of Spring; and Sage Vanden Heuvel, Ann Arbor, Michigan, for Inner Earth.

The finallists were selected from 6,304 script submissions. 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.

The Nicholl Committee is chaired by producer Gale Anne Hurd and comprises writers Naomi Foner, Daniel Petrie Jr, Tom Rickman and Dana Stevens, actor Eva Marie Saint, cinematographers John Bailey and Steven B Poster, executive Bill Mechanic, producers Peter Samuelson and Robert W Shapiro, and agent Ronald R Mardigian.

Fellowships are awarded on the understanding that the recipients will each complete a feature-length screenplay during their 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.

Mike Rich, a 1998 Fellow, wrote the upcoming Secretariat, while  Susannah Grant, a 1992 Fellow, earned an Oscar nomination in 2000 for Erin Brockovich.