Past Honorees
The Nantucket Film Festival’s most esteemed awards recognize writers and filmmakers from film and television for their significant contributions to the art of storytelling. These honors are presented annually during the film festival at a gala celebration.
The Screenwriters Tribute Award is the highest honor presented by the Festival. Established in 1998, this award honors an individual whose history in screenwriting has made a distinct impact on American cinema. The Screenwriters Tribute Award is not a “lifetime achievement” award, but rather an acknowledgment of the indelible mark these artists have made on the hearts and minds of people all over the world through their writing for the screen. These writers link us to our past and provide a glimpse into our future.
1998
Ring Lardner Jr.
M*A*S*H, Woman of the Year
1999
Jay Presson Allen
Cabaret, Marnie
2000
Paul Schrader
Raging Bull, Taxi Driver
2001
Walter Bernstein
The Front, Fail Safe
2002
James Schamus
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Ice Storm
2003
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Howards End, The Remains of the Day
2004
Charlie Kaufman
Being John Malkovich, Adaptation.
2005
Steve Martin
The Jerk, Roxanne
2006
Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor
Sideways, About Schmidt
2007
Robert Benton
Bonnie and Clyde, Kramer vs. Kramer
2008
Judd Apatow
The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up
2009
Harold Ramis
Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters
2010
Barry Levinson
Diner, Avalon
2011
Paul Haggis
Million Dollar Baby, Crash
2012
Nancy Meyers
Private Benjamin, Something's Gotta Give
2013
David O. Russell
American Hustle, The Wrestler
2014
Aaron Sorkin
The Social Network, The West Wing
2015
Robert Towne
Chinatown, Shampoo
2016
Oliver Stone
Platoon, Scarface
2017
Tom McCarthy
Spotlight, Win Win
2018
Noah Baumbach
Greenberg, The Squid and the Whale
2019
Leslie Dixon
Mrs. Doubtfire, Limitless
2020
Eric Roth
The Good Shepard, Forrest Gump
2022
Barry Jenkins
Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk
2023
Nicole Holofcener
Walking and Talking, Enough Said
Some of today’s most gifted cinematic storytellers work outside of scripted characters and plots. We honor these non-fiction filmmakers with our Special Achievement in Documentary Storytelling. When it comes to imagination, scope, and heart, these directors more than equal their “fiction” colleagues. The greatest filmmakers in the non-fiction realm strive for a discerning fidelity to reality while simultaneously staying true to their instincts as a storyteller. What emerges are works that audiences will continue to cherish for decades to come.
2010
Davis Guggenheim
2012
Rory Kennedy
2013
Barbara Kopple
2014
Steve James
2015
Liz Garbus
2016
Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady
2017
Nick Broomfield
2018
Morgan Neville
2022
Ramin Bahrani
2023
Lynn Novick & Ken Burns
2024
Roger Ross Williams
Established in 2015, this award recognizes writers of the “small” screen medium. But there’s nothing small about the achievements of television and episodic writing over the years, it holds a deep and increasingly profound place in American cultural life. Even as the very definitions of what “screenwriting” changes and the mediums by which people experience “television” are constantly shifting. What remains timeless, though, are the gifts of a great storyteller. This award celebrates those artists whose vision and passion keep us watching episode after episode.
2015
Beau Willimon
2017
David Crane & Jeffrey Klarik
2019
Anne Beatts, Jane Curtain, Heidi Gardner, Sudi Green, Sarah Schneider
2021
Amy Sherman-Palladino & Daniel Palladino
2024
Kerry Ehrin
Every once in a while, a writer bursts onto the independent film scene, making noise with a combination of an already recognizable style and a compelling yet fresh take on a genre or tried-and-true narrative, and since 2010, we’ve been shining the spotlight on these exciting new talents with this honor. These screenwriters think outside the box and still manage to engage audiences, critics, and the industry alike.
2010
Michael Arndt
2011
Ben Queen
2012
Benh Zeitlin & Lucy Alibar
2013
Lake Bell
2014
Mike Cahill
2015
Leslye Headland
2016
Siân Heder
2017
Geremy Jasper
2018
Andrew Heckler
2022
Cooper Raiff
2023
Jenny Han
2024
Meredith Scardino
Established in 2008 the Compass Rose Award is a unique honor that recognizes the career achievements of all storytellers whose contributions to the world of cinema and television go beyond the written word, and their work whether it is acting, producing, or directing has a profound impact and inspires writers to create new material.
2008
Meg Ryan
2010
Robert Duvall
2011
Vera Farmiga
2012
Frank Langella
2016
Molly Shannon
2021
Kelsey Grammer
