A Vancouver film critic and writer has beat out more than 7,000 other screenwriters from around the world to be one of the finalists for the prestigious 2013 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Patty Jones, a writer and editor with Vancouver’s Georgia Straight, made the cut with her screenplay Joe Banks.  A record 7,251 scripts were submitted for this year’s fellowships.

She is one of nine finalists and one writing team that will compete for up to five $35,000 year-long fellowships. During the fellowship, writers are expected to complete one feature-length script.

The Nicholl Fellowship is open to any writer who has not earned more than $25,000 writing for a film or television program or received another fellowship that awarded a first look clause or option.

The 2013 Academy Nicholl Fellowships will be presented on Thursday, Nov. 7  in Beverly Hills.

The nine other finalists are:

Scott Adams, Menlo Park, CA, Slingshot
William Casey, Los Angeles, CA, Smut
Frank DeJohn & David Alton Hedges, Santa Ynez, CA, Legion
Brian Forrester, Studio City, CA, Heart of the Monstyr
Noah Thomas Grossman, Los Angeles, CA, The Cupid Code
Erin KLG, New York, NY, Lost Children
Alan Roth, Suffern, NY, Jersey City Story
Stephanie Shannon, Los Angeles, CA, Queen of Hearts
Barbara Stepansky, Burbank, CA, Sugar in My Veins