The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is now accepting entries for the 2012 Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. As many as five $35,000 fellowships will be awarded through the program in November.

The Nicholl Fellowships competition is open to any individual who has not earned more than $5,000 from the sale or option of a screenplay or teleplay, or received a fellowship or prize of more than $5,000 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 online, upload one PDF copy of their original screenplay in English and pay the entry fee before 11:59 p.m. PT on May 1, 2012. The regular entry fee is US$52; an early-bird entry fee of US$35 is available for those who enter by 11:59 p.m. PT on March 15, 2012.

Online applications, rules and other details are available at www.oscars.org/nicholl.

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

Last year’s competition drew a record 6,730 entries. Since the program’s inception in 1985, 123 fellowships have been awarded.

Among the recent achievements by Nicholl fellows: Destin Daniel Cretton wrote and directed “I Am Not a Hipster,” which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival; Andrew Marlowe created and executive produces and Terri Miller serves as a writer-producer on the ABC series “Castle”; and Jeffrey Eugenides published his third novel, The Marriage Plot, which is a National Book Critics Circle award nominee.

Meanwhile, Hollywood and the rest of the movie society is getting ready to the night of the Oscar. It was recently announced that new names has joined the group of A-List presenters at this years ceremony. One is first-timer Emma Stone who appears in the Best Picture nominee ‘The Help.’ Her other film credits include ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.,’ ‘Friends with Benefits,’ ‘Easy A’ and ‘Superbad.’ She will be seen next in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and ‘Gangster Squad.’

A more seasoned presenter is Academy Award winner Penélope Cruz who won an Oscar in 2008 for her supporting role in ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona.’ She was also nominated for her lead performance in ‘Volver’ (2006) and for her supporting role in ‘Nine’ (2009). Her other film credits include ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,’ ‘Sex and the City 2,’ ‘Sahara,’ ‘Vanilla Sky,’ ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ and ‘Blow.’

Another relatively fresh face is Bradley Cooper. Cooper will be seen next in ‘The Words’ and, later this year, in ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ and ‘The Silver Linings Playbook.’ His film credits include ‘The Hangover Part II,’ ‘Limitless,’ ‘Valentine’s Day,’ ‘He’s Just Not That Into You,’ ‘Yes Man,’ ‘Failure to Launch’ and ‘Wedding Crashers.’

Cooper and the others joins a stellar list of previously announced Oscar presenters, including Halle Berry, Rose Byrne, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Milla Jovovich, Ellie Kemper, Jennifer Lopez, Melissa McCarthy, Wendy McLendon-Covey, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

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About the author

Claudia Sondergaard
Specialised in American foreign policy media discourse, I have a real passion for media and writing and feel comfortable in subjects such as human rights, politics, environment, social issues, movies, TV and books. Reporting from Denmark. Follow me @swirlgirlversus