Academy Receives Record Number Of Entries For 2009 Nicholl Fellowships

A record 6,380 scripts are in contention for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 24th annual Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in screenwriting competition. Entries have come from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and from 46 other countries. The Academy will award up to five fellowships of $30,000 each in November.

The competition is open to screenwriters who have not earned more than $5,000 writing for film or television. Entry scripts must be the original work of a sole author or of exactly two collaborative authors. Entries must have been written originally in English. Adaptations and translated scripts are not eligible.

This year, scripts have come from across the United States as well as from Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bermuda, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Venezuela.

Several past Nicholl fellows have gone on to successful film writing careers, including Academy Award® nominee Susannah Grant ("The Soloist," "In Her Shoes," "Erin Brockovich"), Doug Atchison ("Akeelah and the Bee"), Mike Rich ("Radio," "The Rookie," "Finding Forrester"), Ehren Kruger ("Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "Arlington Road," "The Ring") and Andrew Marlowe ("Hollow Man," "End of Days," "Air Force One").

Last year's competition drew more than 5,000 entries. Since the program's inception in 1985, 108 fellowships have been awarded.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards - in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners - the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

For more information visit www.oscars.org.

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