Probably the most highly regarded screenplay competition in the United States, the Nicholls Fellowship finalists were announced yesterday. They are:

• Jeremy Bandow, Minneapolis, Minnesota, “Hive”
• Griffin Broadway, Brooklyn, New York, “An Arabian Tale”
• Nancy Froeschle, Portland, Oregon, and Stephen Trow, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, “The Greater Glory”
• Patricia Ann Hale, Brooklyn, New York, “The Home of Positive Thinking”
• Christina D. Hammonds Reed, Hacienda Heights, California, “Heart Problems”
• Ken Kristensen and Colin Marshall, Los Angeles, California, “Out of Breath”
• Jason A. Micallef, Santa Monica, California, “Butter”
• Eric Nazarian, Burbank, California, “Giants”
• Lee Patterson, Durham, England, “Snatched”
• Becky Peterson and William Bryant, Iowa City, Iowa, “Ross”

Among Nicholls Fellows who have gone on to some success in the entertainment business:

• Allison Anders (1986 fellow) – Things behind the Sun (co-writer-director), 2001; Mi Vida Loca (writer-director), 1994; Gas Food Lodging (writer-director), 1992
• Doug Atchison (2000 fellow) – Akeelah and the Bee (writer-director), 2006, Nicholl entry script
• Raymond De Felitta (1991 fellow) – ‘Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris (director), 2007; The Thing about My Folks (director), 2005; Two Family House (writer-director), 2000, Nicholl fellowship year script
• Jacob Aaron Estes (1998 fellow) – Nearing Grace (writer), 2006; Mean Creek (writer-director), 2004, Nicholl entry script
• Ehren Kruger (1996 fellow) – Blood and Chocolate (co-writer), 2007; The Brothers Grimm (writer), 2005; The Ring (writer), 2002; Scream 3 (writer), 2000; Arlington Road (writer), 1999, Nicholl entry script
• Andrew W. Marlowe (1992 fellow) – Hollow Man (writer), 2000; End of Days (writer), 1999; Air Force One (writer), 1997
• Karen Moncrieff (1998 fellow) – The Dead Girl (writer-director), 2006; Blue Car (writer-director), 2003, Nicholl entry script
• Mike Rich (1998 fellow) – The Nativity Story (writer), 2006; Radio (writer), 2003; The Rookie (writer), 2002; Finding Forrester (writer), 2000, Nicholl entry script