My Interviews with Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Winners: Part 4

Last night, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored the six winners of the 2016 Nichol Fellowships in Screenwriting. Those writers and their winning scripts are:

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”

It’s a special evening including scene-readings from each script, this year featuring actors John Cho, Cary Elwes, Aja Naomi King and Alia Shawkat, and acceptance speeches by each writer.

I have interviewed every Nicholl winner since 2012 and to spotlight this year’s Academy event, this week I will be featuring those interviews. Here are links to my conversations with the 2015 winners:

Elizabeth Chomko
 Andrew Friedhof
 Anthony Grieco
 Sam Regnier
 Amy Tofte

There are several reasons I think these interviews are important. First, the Nicholl is the premier screenwriting contest with winners and even finalists virtually assured of obtaining representation. Second, it is, after all, sponsored by the AMPAS. But from a craft perspective, it’s great to read reflections from writers who were quite literally on the other side of Hollywood’s gate just a few months ago. Their insights come from a place quite close to the majority of GITS readers, writers trying to break into the business.

As usual, I am reaching out to the 2016 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners. I’ve already talked with Elizabeth Oyebode, a writer I mentored at a Black List lab in 2015, and she has agreed to an interview. Hopefully I’ll connect with all of this year’s Nicholl honorees.

Congratulations, Nicholl winners. Relish this week of activities!

Check this out: You can read and hear some of Elizabeth’s script “Tween the Ropes” by going here.