The regular deadline to submit entries for the 2015 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition is Friday, April 10, at 11:59 p.m. PT. In November, as many as five $35,000 fellowships will be awarded to amateur screenwriters.

The Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition is open to any individual who has not earned a total of more than $25,000 from the sale or option of screenplays or teleplays, or received fellowships or prizes of more than $25,000 that include a “first look” clause, an option or any other quid pro quo involving the writer’s work.

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To enter, writers must submit a completed application online, upload one PDF copy of their original screenplay in English, and pay the required entry fee before the regular deadline at 11:59 p.m. PT on April 10, or the final deadline at 11:59 p.m. PT on May 1.

Deadlines and entry fees are as follows:

• Regular deadline: April 10, at 11:59 p.m. PT; entry fee US$55
• Final deadline: May 1, at 11:59 p.m. PT; entry fee US$75

Online applications and complete rules are available here.

For the first time, current entrants also may purchase, for an additional $40, review comments from at least two Nicholl readers for each submitted script.

Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a new feature-length screenplay during the fellowship year.

According to the Academy, last year’s competition drew 7,511 submissions.