You know the prize money is sweet when you have to receive it in installments. This year’s Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship went to five scribes whose scripts were plucked from a batch of nearly 4,250 entries from every single state. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences oversaw the awards, and a distinguished panel of industry judges awarded the following writers a hefty $25,000 for their efforts:
Doug Atchison; North Hollywood, California ^ Script: “Akeelah and the Bee”
Alfredo Botello; Berkeley, California ^ Script: “The Crasher”
Gabrielle Burton; Eggertsville, New York ^ Script: “The Imperial Waltz”
Christine R. Downs; Los Angeles, California ^ Script: “Victory Road”
James M. Foley; Chicago, Illinois ^ Script: “Powder River Breakdown”
Past awardees have received writing work on films like “Reindeer Games,” “Titan A.E.” and “Scream 3”. For more on the Nicholl winners, see the [ official Oscar website. ]
