Barnett Brettler Wins 2013 Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize For Screenwriting
TFI and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation announced today that Barnett Brettler is the winner of this year's Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize for Screenwriting.
The Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize was created to recognize the very best student screenplay in the nation that uses science and technology themes or characters to tell an engaging story (Sloan has awarded over $3.5 million in direct grants to film students since 1997). Brettler's script, Waking Hours, is set in a dystopian world where people are losing the ability to sleep. The story follows a British border agent as he leaves the safety of his country to search for the woman that he loves.
Waking Hours was selected by an awards committee comprised of actress Sarita Choudhury (Lady in the Water, Homeland); author Brent Hoff; director and writer Joshua Marston; and neuroscientist Heather Berlin.
Brettler, a Long Island native currently attending UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television, will receive a $30,000 cash prize. The award also includes year-round support from TFI, including mentorship and guidance from scientific and film industry professionals, networking opportunities, and industry exposure, as well as an additional $20,000 allocated to support the project over the course of the year. Brettler will also attend this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and will particiapte in the TFI Filmmaker Industry Meetings.
Congrats Barnett!
