BEVERLY HILLS, CA — The 2014 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition is now under way. In November, as many as five $35,000 fellowships will be awarded.
Since 1986, 133 fellowships have been awarded, including one to Destin Daniel Cretton, who wrote and directed "Short Term 12" from his 2010 Nicholl Fellowship-winning script. Other fellows include Creighton Rothenberger, who co-wrote "Olympus Has Fallen," which opened in theaters last March; Rebecca Sonnenshine, a writer and co-producer on "The Vampire Diaries"; Andrew Marlowe, the creator of and an executive producer on "Castle"'; and Terri Edda Miller, a writer and consulting producer on "Castle." Fellow Raymond De Felitta directed "Rob the Mob," which is slated to open theatrically on March 21, 2014.
The Academy Nicholl Fellowships competition is open to any individual who has not earned a total of more than $25,000 from the sale or option of screenplays or teleplays, or received fellowships or prizes of more than $25,000 that include 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 online, upload one PDF copy of their original screenplay in English and pay the entry fee before the regular deadline at 5:00 p.m. PT on April 10, 2014.
Entry fee schedule and deadlines are as follows:
- Early deadline: 5:00 p.m. PT, February 28; entry fee US$35
- Deadline: 5:00 p.m. PT, April 10; entry fee US$50
- Late deadline: 5:00 p.m. PT, May 1; entry fee US$65
Online applications, rules and other details are available at oscars.org/nicholl.
Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a new 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 a record 7,251 entries.