The Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, a global program founded in 1985 to aid emerging writers, announced on Monday its 2024 recipients, who include a writing team from Los Angeles and single writers from L.A.; Brooklyn; Waco, Texas; and West Chester, Pennsylvania.
According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, each individual and writing team will receive a $35,000 prize and mentorship from an Academy member throughout their fellowship year. They also will participate in virtual seminars and in-person networking events, including a gala on October 29.
A total of 5,500 scripts from 80 countries were submitted for this year’s competition. The Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee is chaired by Julie Lynn (Producers Branch) and the 24 members of the committee include Caitríona Balfe (Actors Branch), Sue Chan (Production Design Branch), Ehren Kruger (Writers Branch) and Allison Anders (Directors Branch).
The 2024 Nicholl Fellows are (listed alphabetically by author):
Alysha Chan and David Zarif (Los Angeles, CA), “Miss Chinatown”
Jackie Yee follows in her mother’s footsteps on her quest to win the Los Angeles Miss Chinatown pageant.
Colton Childs (Waco, TX), “Fake-A-Wish”
Despite their forty-year age gap, and the cancer treatment confining them to their small Texas town, two gay men embark on a road trip to San Francisco to grant themselves the Make-A-Wish they’re too old to receive.
Charmaine Colina (Los Angeles, CA), “Gunslinger Bride”
With a bounty on her head, a young Chinese-American gunslinger poses as a mail order bride to hide from the law and seek revenge for her murdered family.
Ward Kamel (Brooklyn, NY), “If I Die in America”
After the sudden death of his immigrant husband, an American man’s tenuous relationship with his Muslim in-laws reaches a breaking point as he tries to fit into the funeral they’ve arranged in the Middle East. Adapted from the SXSW® Grand Jury-nominated short film of the same name.
Wendy Britton Young (West Chester, PA), “The Superb Lyrebird & Other Creatures”
A neurodivergent teen who envisions people as animated creatures, battles an entitled rival for a life-changing art scholarship, while her sister unwisely crosses the line to help.
The 2024 finalists are (listed alphabetically by author):
Kelly Beck-Byrnes, “Where the Boxelders Grow”
Tate Hamilton, “Delivery Girl”
Jamie Murphy, “Lights over Idaho”
Adele Smaill, “No Ghosts Tonight”
Justine Suh, “Deep”
Per the Academy, “The five fellowships are awarded with the understanding that recipients will complete feature-length screenplays 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.”
Past Nicholl Fellowship winners include Allison Anders, Jeff Eugenides and Susannah Grant. In the 39 years in which fellowships have been awarded, 24 Nicholl-winning screenplays have gone on to be produced.
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