Geoffrey S. Fletcher
Geoffrey S. Fletcher | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Geoffrey Shawn Fletcher October 4, 1970 New London, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter, film director |
Geoffrey Shawn Fletcher (born October 4, 1970) is an American screenwriter and film director. Fletcher is best known for being the screenwriter of Precious, for which he received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, becoming the first African American to receive an Academy Award for writing.[1] In September 2010, Fletcher began shooting Violet & Daisy in New York City based on his original script as his directorial debut.[2] It was released in a limited theatrical run in June 2013.
Early life
[edit]Fletcher was born in New London, Connecticut, one of three children of Alphonse Fletcher, Sr. and Bettye R. Fletcher. Alphonse Fletcher, Jr. and Todd Fletcher are his brothers. Fletcher attended Waterford High School in Waterford, Connecticut prior to completing his secondary education at Choate Rosemary Hall. Fletcher graduated from Harvard College where he concentrated in psychology and from NYU's Tisch School where he earned a Master of Fine Arts. His student film Magic Markers, which he wrote and directed, was shown at festivals[3] and caught the attention of director John Singleton.[4]
Career
[edit]
Fletcher worked in a variety of temporary staff positions for years as he wrote and directed his own films. Eventually he was appointed an adjunct professor at Tisch and also at Columbia. In 2006, producer Lee Daniels viewed Magic Markers and asked Fletcher to adapt the book Push by Sapphire which became the film Precious.[4] Daniels, well known to be "passionately dedicated" to artists "serious about their craft,"[5] considered several writers before choosing Fletcher according to a Variety article that included Fletcher among the "Ten Screenwriters to Watch."[6] Fletcher is represented by his agents Bill Weinstein, Nicky Mohebbi, and Manal Hamad of Verve and by the law firm of Gang, Tyre, Ramer, and Brown.
On February 16, 2010, director Doug Liman and Fletcher announced that they would be collaborating on a film re-creation of the 1971 Attica state prison rebellion.[7] Fletcher said in a statement "Working with a remarkable director in Doug Liman whose family history binds him personally to this project, I hope to create opportunities for re-examination of this dramatic crossroad in our nation's history while contributing to the current dialogue on the value of protecting everyone's rights."[8][9]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Precious | No | Yes | No |
| 2011 | Violet & Daisy | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2018 | Trial by Fire | No | Yes | No |
Recognition
[edit]Screenwriting awards for Precious
[edit]- Best Adapted Screenplay at 82nd Academy Awards[10]
- Best First Screenplay at 25th Independent Spirit Awards[11]
- Winner Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture at 41st NAACP Image Awards[12]
- Best Screenplay – Adapted Geoffrey Fletcher at 14th Satellite Awards[13]
- Best Screenplay Geoffrey Fletcher at 7th AAFCA Awards[14]
- Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted Geoffrey Fletcher at 10th Black Reel Awards[15]
Screenwriting nominations for Precious
[edit]- Best Screenplay – Adapted at 8th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association[16]
- Best Screenplay, Adapted at 4th Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award[17]
- Best Screenplay at 3rd Houston Film Critics Society Awards[18]
- Best Adapted Screenplay at 14th Florida Film Critics Circle Awards[19]
- Scripter Award at Sapphire 23rd USC Scripter Awards[20]
- Adapted Screenplay at 62nd Writers Guild of America Awards[21]
- Adapted Screenplay at 63rd British Academy Film Awards[22]
Awards and Festivals for Magic Markers
[edit]- Directors Guild of America Student Film Award, 1996.[23]
- Shown at Hamptons International Film Festival October 18–22, 1995.[24]
- Shown at Sundance Film Festival (Shorts Program) in Park City, Utah January 18–28, 1996.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
- ^ "Alexis Bledel in Violet and Daisy with Saoirse Ronan". celebriFi. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "Magic Markers Film Information". Variety. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
- ^ a b Horn, John (November 29, 2009). "Geoffrey Fletcher Pulls Precious from Push". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Lee Daniels Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
- ^ "10 Screenwriters to Watch". Variety. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
- ^ "Director Liman Announces 'Attica' adaptation". Reuters. February 17, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2010.
- ^ "Liman, Fletcher to adapt Attica". Sharon Waxman. February 16, 2010.
- ^ Zeitchik, Steven (February 16, 2010). "From Precious to Prison". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Oscars Ceremonies-2010-Writing (Adapted Screenplay)". www.oscars.org. March 7, 2010. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
- ^ ""Precious" Takes Top Prizes at Indie Film Awards". ABCNEWS.com. March 6, 2010. Archived from the original on March 31, 2010. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
- ^ "Motion Picture Categories". NAACPImageAwards.com. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
- ^ International Press Academy (December 2009). "2009 14th Annual Satellite Awards Nominations". PressAcademys.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2009. Retrieved December 8, 2009.
- ^ "African -American Film Critics Association Selects "Precious" As Top Film Of 2009". Aafca.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
- ^ "'Precious' and 'Princess' Top Black Reel Awards Nominations". BlackReelAwards.com. The Black Reel Awards. December 16, 2009. Retrieved December 16, 2009.
- ^ Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association (December 7, 2009). "Our Awards: 2009". DCFilmCritics.com. Retrieved December 8, 2009.
- ^ "2009 EDA Award Winners". AWFJ.org. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
- ^ "Houston Film Critics Society: Home". HoustonFilmCritics.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2009. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
- ^ "FFCC Award Winners". FloridaFilmCriticsCircle.webs.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
- ^ "USC Libraries Announce Scripter 2010 Finalists". USC.edu. Archived from the original on July 9, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
- ^ "2010 Writers Guild Awards Screen Nominees Announced". wga.org. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
- ^ "The official nominations for the Orange British Academy Film Awards in 2010". bafta.org. Archived from the original on February 28, 2010. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
- ^ "DGA Student Film Awards". DGA.org. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
- ^ "The Third Hamptons International Film Festival Student Films". filmscouts.com. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
External links
[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1970 births
- Living people
- American male screenwriters
- Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners
- Choate Rosemary Hall alumni
- Harvard College alumni
- Tisch School of the Arts alumni
- Independent Spirit Award winners
- Writers from New London, Connecticut
- New York University staff
- Columbia University staff
- African-American screenwriters