The winners of the Academy’s annual Nicholls Fellowship in Screenwriting rarely get too much attention, gien that these new writers and their scripts are completely unknown quantities. Still, it’s worth keeping these names in mind, since every now and then, a Nicholls winner makes it to the screen with some success. One of 2010’s choices, for example, was Destin Daniel Cretton’s much-beloved indie “Short Term 12”; 1992 winner Susannah Grant went on to write the Oscar-nominated script for “Erin Brockovich.” Perhaps similar things await the writers of this year’s five winners: “Legion,” “Joe Banks,” “Jersey City Story,” “Queen of Hearts” and “Sugar in My Veins.” [AMPAS]
Steve Pond looks over with list of 151 films — a record number — eligible for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. [The Wrap]
Harvey Weinstein is appealing against the R-rating given by the MPAA to that raunchy romp “Philomena.” [The Guardian]
Glenn Kenny examines the implications of nine key lines from “12 Years a Slave.” [Cinephiled]
The BAFTA Children’s Awards are partying like it’s 2012, as “Brave,” “Life of Pi,” “ParaNorman” and “Wreck-It Ralph” compete for Best Feature. [Hollywood Reporter]
With “The Fifth Estate” performing worse at the US box office than any other wide release this year, Jeff Labrecque wonders what happened. [EW]
Is Joaquin Phoenix the most fascinating actor in the movies today? Diana Drumm believes so. [IndieWire]
Frank DiGiacomo asks if Focus Features’ recent woes foretell the death of the studio indie. [Vulture]
Andrew Kendall looks back with affection on one of the shortest performances ever to win an Oscar: Judi Dench in “Shakespeare in Love.” [The Film Experience]
More retro Oscar talk: Mike D’Angelo revisits the 2001 Best Actress field, deeming Halle Berry “flat-out terrible” and sticking up for Piper Perabo. [The Dissolve]