Rob Dunn (Screenwriting – M.F.A. ’13) and Ryan Trevino (Screenwriting – M.F.A. ’12) are finalists in the Nicholl Fellowship with their script Arcadia. Dunn and Trevino met while studying in the School of Film and Television at LMU and became writing partners after graduating.
Arcadia is an action-adventure set in nineteenth-century Greece, amid the backdrop of Greece’s revolution against the tyranny of the Ottoman Empire. The story starts with Lord Byron, the English Romantic poet, as he seeks a legendary treasure that could give the Greek rebels a tactical edge over their enemies. On this adventure, Byron is joined by two unlikely heroes – Davis, an American mercenary who cares more for gold than the ideals of freedom, and Kyra, a tough shepherdess who discovers that her family and fate are tied more intimately to the ancient treasure than she could have imagined. Little do any of them realize, waiting at the end of their sweeping and perilous quest, is an ancient, cursed family of the first werewolves – King Lycaon and his forty-nine sons. These beasts are the keepers of the ancient treasure that Byron seeks, and their thirst for blood and power has only grown since they were locked away thousands of years ago…
While the figures have yet to be reported from the Academy, in 2013, there were 7,251 entries and only 10 advanced to the finals so this is an amazing accomplishment.
The Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting was founded in 1985 by Gee Nicholl in honor of her late husband, Don Nicholl in order to develop a program that would aid new screenwriters. The Fellowship is open to any screenwriter who has not earned more than $25,000 writing fictional work for film or television. Up to five fellowship winners are chosen to receive $35,000 each and will be expected to complete at least one original feature film screenplay during the fellowship year. If selected, Dunn and Trevino will be invited to participate in awards week ceremonies and seminars in November.
Congratulations again to Dunn and Trevino and best of luck making it to the Fellowship Winner round!