UNCSA partners with prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting for second year

The School of Filmmaking at the UNCSA has been named a partner of the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting program from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is the second year UNCSA has been a partner in the prestigious program.

The School of Filmmaking joins 57 other universities, screenwriting labs, film festivals and filmmaker programs from across the globe to recommend student and alumni writers for participation in what is widely regarded as the top screenwriting contest in the world.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Academy in such an exciting way for our student and alumni screenwriters,” said Filmmaking faculty member and UNCSA alumnus Shawn Harwell (B.F.A. ’99). “The Academy’s Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting has helped kickstart the careers of such notable writers as Susannah Grant (Oscar® nominee for “Erin Brockovich”), Destin Daniel Cretton (“Short Term 12”) and Mike Rich (“Finding Forrester”). We’re honored that our writers will have the opportunity to be recognized through such an impactful program.”

Shawn Harwell / Photo: UNCSA

Last year, screenplays by UNCSA Filmmaking alumni Christian Bean (M.F.A. ’26) and Atiba Jeffers (M.F.A. ’24) were selected from a competitive pool of entries to become the first screenplays from the School of Filmmaking recommended for the program. Their work was selected due to its demonstration of strong concepts, original voices, and a high level of execution on the page to tell captivating stories in very different genres. In total, 101 screenplays were recommended by partners of the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting for the 2025-26 program and every screenplay was read and judged by at least eight members of the Academy.

Partner script submissions to the Academy will open in late July, with a deadline in late August. Nicholl fellows will be awarded in spring 2027.

About the Screenwriting program

The Screenwriting program in the School of Filmmaking at UNCSA prepares emerging storytellers to develop compelling stories for film and television through rigorous undergraduate and graduate training. Students build expertise in the craft of screenwriting while collaborating across filmmaking disciplines and developing original feature-length and episodic projects. The undergraduate screenwriting concentration begins in the third year after students complete two years of foundational coursework across all areas of filmmaking. The Master of Fine Arts program offers an intensive, portfolio-focused curriculum featuring small classes, one-on-one faculty mentoring, and industry-style development experiences designed for working professionals. Graduates leave with polished portfolios and the skills, experience and industry knowledge needed to pursue careers as screenwriters, producers and creative professionals.

UNCSA screenwriting alumni have contributed to acclaimed films and television series; and worked at leading companies including Pixar Animation, Paramount and DreamWorks Animation. They have also written for productions such as NBC's “This Is Us”; HBO's “Eastbound & Down,” “Vice Principals” and “The Righteous Gemstones”; Warner Bros.' “Pacific Rim,” “The Campaign” and “Observe & Report”; Paramount Vantage’s “The Foot Fist Way”; Amazon’s “Red Oaks”; and Netflix’s “The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter.”

Notable alumni include Martha Stephens (“Land Ho!” and “Passenger Pigeons”); Aaron Katz (“Quiet City,” “Cold Weather,” “Land Ho!” and “Gemini”); Jeff Nichols (“Take Shelter,” “Mud,” “Midnight Special” and “Loving”); Karrie Crouse (“Hold Your Breath,” “Westworld,” “Pilgrim Song” and “Be Still”); Alex Thompson (“Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting” and “Fathoms”); and Jo Hatcher, a 2021 Sundance Institute Screenwriters Intensive fellow whose short film “Hard Feelings” is being developed as a feature.

About the School of Filmmaking

Consistently recognized as among the nation’s best training programs for filmmakers, the School of Filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts has produced some of today’s most creative storytellers, including Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, Brett Haley, Rebecca Green, Jody Hill, Jeff Nichols, Craig Zobel, Vera Herbert, Martha Stephens, Aaron Katz and Zoë White, among many others. Led by independent filmmaker and educator Deborah LaVine, the award-winning faculty in the School of Filmmaking have decades of real-world experience and a passion for mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in concentrations that include animation, cinematography, directing, picture editing and sound design, producing, production design and visual effects, and screenwriting.

June 17, 2026