October 5, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000

                         lunger@oscars.org

Beverly Hills, CA - Ten finalists have been selected for the 2000 Don and Gee Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship competition sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy Foundation. Up to five of these screenwriters will ultimately be selected to receive the prestigious fellowship and its accompanying $25,000 stipend.

Following are this year's ten finalists (listed alphabetically by writer's name):

Doug M. Atchison; North Hollywood, California
Script: "Akeelah and the Bee"

Alfredo Botello; Berkeley, California
Script: "The Crasher"

Patricia Burroughs; Garland, Texas
Script: "Dreamers"

Gabrielle Burton; Eggertsville, New York
Script: "The Imperial Waltz"

E. J. Campfield; Thousand Oaks, California
Script: "Circle of Fire"

Thomas A. Conklin; Maplewood, New Jersey
Script: "Big Dog"

Christine R. Downs; Los Angeles, California
Script: "Victory Road"

James M. Foley; Chicago, Illinois
Script: "Powder River Breakdown"

Joshua R. Rubin; New York, New York
Script: "Annanina"

Joel B. Strunk; Washington, Maine
Script: "Veterans Day"

These scripts now go on for final judging by the Nicholl Committee, chaired by writer Fay Kanin and comprised of writers John Gay, Hal Kanter, Dan Petrie Jr., Frank Pierson, Tom Rickman and Daniel Taradash, cinematographer John Bailey, editor Mia Goldman, actor Eva Marie Saint, producers Gale Anne Hurd and Peter Samuelson, director Robert E. Wise and agent Ronald Mardigian. The recipients they select will be announced later this month and honored at a gala dinner in Beverly Hills in November.

The Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting were established in 1985. 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.

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.

This year's competition drew 4,250 entries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 29 countries. Since the program's inception, a total of 63 fellowships have been presented and many recipients have gone on to successful careers in screenwriting.

During the past year alone, Raymond De Felitta (1991 Nichol Fellow) directed his Nichol Fellowship year script, "Two Family House," which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival and is to be released theatrically this month; Susannah Grant (1992) was the writer of "Erin Brockovich" and "28 Days;" Ehren Kruger (1996) wrote "Reindeer Games" and "Scream 3," Andrew W. Marlowe (1992) wrote "Hollow Man;" and Randall McCormick (1987) received co-story credit on "Titan A.E." Mike Rich's 1998 Nicholl entry script, "Finding Forrester," directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Sean Connery, is slated to be released during the 2000 holiday season. Jeffrey Eugenides (1986) is the author of the novel The Virgin Suicides. The film version premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, had its U.S. premiere at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically earlier this year.