April 11, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000

                        lunger@oscars.org

Beverly Hills, CA - May 1 is the deadline to enter the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. As many as five new writers will be selected later this year to receive the prestigious $25,000 fellowship.

The competition is open to any individual who has not sold or optioned a screenplay or teleplay for more than $5,000 or received a fellowship or prize that includes 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 form, one copy of their original screenplay, in English, and an entry fee of US$30. Scripts previously entered in the Nicholl competition may be re-submitted.

Evidence of the success of the Nicholl program can be found in the box-office charts of recent months. "Scream 3," written by 1996 Fellow Ehren Kruger, was the top money-making movie for two weekends; Susannah Grant (1992 Fellow) wrote "Erin Brockovich," which was the top grossing film for its first three weeks in release. Kruger and Grant are but two of the Academy's former Fellows who have gone on to successful careers in screenwriting. The list also includes Andrew Marlowe ("Air Force One," "End of Days," "The Hollow Man"), Randall McCormick ("Titan A.E."), Allison Anders ("Sugar Town," "Gas Food Lodging," "Mi Vida Loca," "Grace of My Heart"), Radha Bharadwaj ("Closet Land," "Basil"), Max Adams ("Excess Baggage") and Myron Goble ("Down in the Delta"). In addition, "Finding Forrester," Michael Rich's 1998 winning Nicholl competition entry script, has just gone into production. Directed by Gus Van Zant, it will feature a cast of three Academy Award-winning actors: F. Murray Abraham, Sean Connery and Anna Paquin.

Additional information about the Nicholl Fellowships can be found at the Academy's Web site. The address is <www.oscars.org/nicholl>. The site also has a down-loadable version of the competition application form. Interested parties who do not have access to the Internet can receive entry rules and an application form by sending a business-size (#10), self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

The Nicholl Fellowships
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1972

Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a 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.