The Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting is a fellowship program founded in 1986 to aid screenwriters. It is administered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, under the governance of the Academy Foundation Board.
History
Gee Nicholl, widow of producer Don Nicholl, worked with Julian Blaustein in 1985 to develop the program with the Academy. The original 1986 winners were Allison Anders, Dennis Clontz, and Jeff Eugenides. 1989 fellow Radha Bharadwaj wrote the first screenplay made into a film, the 1991 drama Closet Land. Clontz won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 and Eugenides won one in 2003. 1992 fellow Susannah Grant was the first nominated for an Academy Award, for the screenplay for Erin Brockovich.
As of the 2024 contest, 24 winning scripts have later been produced.
Starting in 2025, the Academy partnered with over 40 global universities and writing labs, as well as The Black List, to invite submissions for the fellowship.
Fellows
2020–present 2025 Nicholl Fellows
Leo Aguirre, Verano Lynn McKee, I’m Ready to Go Anywhere Katla Sólnes, Eruption Omar Al Dakheel and Elie El Choufany, The Washroom Sara Crow and David Rafailedes, Satoshi
2024 Nicholl Fellows
Alysha Chan and David Zarif, Miss Chinatown Colton Childs, Fake-A-Wish Charmaine Colina, Gunslinger Bride Ward Kamel, If I Die in America Wendy Britton Young, The Superb Lyrebird & Other Creatures
2023 Nicholl Fellows
Brent Delaney, Brownie Mary c. Craig Patterson, Tah Harris McCabe, Nat Cady’s Boys J. Miller, Slugger Kayla Sun, Boy, Girl, Fig
2022 Nicholl Fellows
Jennifer Archer, Into the Deep Blue Callie Bloem and Christopher Ewing, Tape 22 Sam Boyer, Ojek J.M. Levine, Operation Gemini Timothy Ware-Hill, Tyrone and the Looking Glass
2021 Nicholl Fellows
Haley Hope Bartels, Pumping Black Karin delaPeña Collison, Coming of Age Byron Hamel, Shade of the Grapefruit Tree R.J. Daniel Hanna, Shelter Animal Laura Kosann, The Ideal Woman
2020 Nicholl Fellows James Acker, Sadboi Beth Curry, Lemon Vanar Jaddou, Goodbye, Iraq Kate Marks, The Cow of Queens Jane Therese, Sins of My Father
2010-2019
2019 Nicholl Fellows Aaron Chung, Princess Vietnam Karen McDermott, Lullabies of La Jaula Renee Pillai, Boy with Kite Sean Malcolm, Mother Walker McKnight, Street Rat Allie Punches Her Ticket
2018 Nicholl Fellows Allison Buckmelter and Nicolas Buckmelter, American Refugee (Produced) Joey Clarke, Jr., Miles Grace Sherman, Numbers and Words Wenonah Wilms, Horsehead Girls
2017 Nicholl Fellows Vigil Chime, Bring Back Girl SJ Inwards, Jellyfish Summer Max Lance and Jen Bailey, The Queen of Sleaze KG Rockmaker, Last Days of Winter Cesar Vitale, The Great Nothing
2016 Nicholl Fellows Michele Atkins, Talking About the Sky Spencer Harvey and Lloyd Harvey, Photo Booth Geeta Malik, Dinner with Friends Elizabeth Oyebode, Tween the Ropes Justin Piasecki, Death of an Ortolan
2015 Nicholl Fellows Amy Tofte, Addis Abeka Andrew Friedhof, Great Falls Anthony Grieco, Best Sellers (Produced) Elizabeth Chomko, What They Had (Produced) Sam Regnier, Free Agent
2014 Nicholl Fellows Sam Baron, The Science of Love and Laughter Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles, United States of Fuckin' Awesome Melissa Iqbal, The Death Engine Sallie West, Moonflower
2013 Nicholl Fellows Frank DeJohn & David Alton Hedges, Legion Patty Jones, Joe Banks Alan Roth, Jersey City Story Stephanie Shannon, Queen of Hearts Barbara Stepansky, Sugar in My Veins
2012 Nicholl Fellows Nikole Beckwith, Stockholm, Pennsylvania (Produced) Sean Robert Daniels, Killers James DiLapo, Devils at Play Allan Durand, Willie Francis Must Die Again Michael Werwie, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (Produced)
2011 Nicholl Fellows Chris Bessounian & Tianna Langham, Guns and Saris Dion Cook, Cutter John MacInnes, Outside the Wire Matthew Murphy, Unicorn Abel Vang & Burlee Vang, The Tiger's Child
2010 Nicholl Fellows Destin Daniel Cretton, Short Term 12 (Produced) Marvin Krueger, And Handled with a Chain Andrew Lanham, The Jumper of Maine Micah Ranum, A Good Hunter (Produced) Cinthea Stahl, Identifying Marks
2000-2009 2009 Nicholl Fellows Matt Ackley, Victoria Falls Vineet Dewan and Angus Fletcher, Sand Dogs John Griffin, Dream Before Waking Nidhi Anna Verghese, Jallianwala Bagh Jeff Williams, Pure
2008 Nicholl Fellows Jeremy Bandow, Hive Ken Kristensen & Colin Marshall, Out of Breath Jason A. Micallef, Butter (Produced) Eric Nazarian, Giants Lee Patterson, Snatched
2007 Nicholl Fellows Amy Garcia & Cecilia Contreras, Amelia Earhart and the Bologna Rainbow Highway Michael L. Hare, The Fly Fisher Sidney King, Kalona David Mango, Kissing a Suicide Bomber Andrew Shearer & Nicholas J. Sherman, Holy Irresistible
2006 Nicholl Fellows Alfred E. Carpenter & Mark A. Matusof, 38 Mercury Arthur M. Jolly, The Free Republic of Bobistan Stephanie Lord, Palau Rain Josh D. Schorr, 10 Day Contract Scott K. Simonsen, Tides of Summer
2005 Nicholl Fellows Morgan Read-Davidson, The Days Between Seth Resnik & Ron Moskovitz, Fire in a Coal Mine Michael D. Zungolo, No Country Colleen Cooper De Maio, Pirates of Lesser Providence Gian Marco Masoni, Ring of Fire
2004 Nicholl Fellows Sean Mahoney, Fenian's Trace Daniel Lawrence, The Gaza Golem Doug Davidson, Letter Quest Whit Rummel, The Secret Boy John Sinclair & Nova Jacobs, Split Infinity
2003 Nicholl Fellows Andrea R. Herman, Augmentation Tejal K. Desai & Brian C. Wray, Linda and Henry Annie Reid, Revival Bragi Schut Jr., Season of the Witch (Produced) James N. Mottern, Trucker (Produced)
2002 Nicholl Fellows John Ciarlo, Bend in the River Matt Harris, Moon of Popping Trees (Produced as Dead for a Dollar) Pamela Kay, Nude and Naked Kurt Kuenne, Mason Mule Creighton Rothenberger, The Chosin
2001 Nicholl Fellows Patricia Burroughs, Redemption Greg M. Dawless, One Hour Development Robert S. Edwards, Land of the Blind (Produced) Albert Letizia, The Northern Lights Cameron B. Young, Saint Vincent
2000 Nicholl Fellows Doug Atchison, Akeelah and the Bee (Produced) Alfredo Botello, The Crasher Gabrielle Burton, The Imperial Waltz Christine R. Downs, Victory Road James M. Foley, Powder River Breakdown
1990-1999 1999 Nicholl Fellows Chris E. Balibrera, Harvest T. J. Lynch, The Beginning of Wisdom Annmarie E. Morais, Bleeding Jaime David Silverman, Last Meals Rebecca A. Sonnenshine, Mermaid Dreams
1998 Nicholl Fellows Jacob A. Estes, Mean Creek (Produced) Robert H. Gyde, Jelly-Babies Donna McNeely, Julia's Child Karen M. Moncrieff, Blue Car (Produced) Michael A. Rich, Finding Forrester (Produced)
1997 Nicholl Fellows Glen Craney, Whisper the Wind Scott Ferraiolo, The Palace of Versailles Anthony J. Jaswinski, Interstate Karen Otoole, Wild Horses Michele Sutter, This Place in the Ways
1996 Nicholl Fellows Will Chandler, Cyrano of Linden View Ehren Kruger, Arlington Road (Produced) Carlton Proctor, Sommerville Brian Teshera, ...In a Heartbeat Craig von Wiederhold, Dead Eyes
1995 Nicholl Fellows Richard Cray, Love, Squid & Pavarotti Scott Fifer, Starstruck Patrick Gilfillan, G.U. (Geographically Undesirable) Robley Wilson, Land Fishers
1994 Nicholl Fellows Max D. Adams, My Back Yard Steve Garvin, Status Quo Charles Henrich, Joshua Tree Glenn Levin, Spano and the Kid
1993 Nicholl Fellows Victoria Jennings Arch, A Terrible Beauty Bob Bridges, Doniphan of the Americas Myron E. Goble, Down in the Delta (Produced) Jodi Ann Johnson, Mama & Me Dawn O'Leary, Island of Brilliance (Produced)
1992 Nicholl Fellows Robert N. Cohen, The Good Ole Boy Susannah Grant, Island Girl Andrew W. Marlowe, The Lehigh Pirates Terri Edda Miller, Bedwarmer Michelle Wollmers, Infidels
1991 Nicholl Fellows Len Alaria, War Cry Peter Crow, Trace Raymond De Felitta, Begin the Beguine Ronald Emmons, By Bread Alone Brian Reich, Baubles
1990 Nicholl Fellows David Gordon, Rocketman Robert Gregory Browne, Low Tide Kent Rizley, The Gentlemen Thomas Smith, Slings and Arrows Wanda Warner, Chief to Chief
1986-1989 1989 Nicholl Fellows Radha Bharadwaj, Closet Land (Produced) Mark Lowenthal, Where the Elephant Sits (Produced) James McGlynn, Traveller (Produced) Deborah Pryor, Briar Patch (Produced) Laverne Stringer, The Cotton Gin Athletic Club
1988 Nicholl Fellows No fellowships awarded
1987 Nicholl Fellows Christopher Bishop, Swampers Kevin Coffey, Fadeaway Sallie Groo, Daughters of Music Marie Angela Kellier, Solita's Rise Randall McCormick, Giant Steps Warren Taylor, In the Dark (Produced) Priscilla Waggoner, Mother's Nature
1986 Nicholl Fellows Allison Anders, Lost Highway Dennis Clontz, Generations (play) Jeff Eugenides, Here Comes Winston, Full of the Holy Spirit (fiction)
References
External links Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting via Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences