Inside the Minds of Allison and Nicolas Buckmelter: Secrets Behind Their Creative Genius Revealed
Ever wonder what it takes to not just write a screenplay, but to craft one that wins at the Nicholl Fellowships—the gold standard for aspiring screenwriters? Meet Allison and Nicolas Buckmelter, the dynamic duo behind “American Refugee,” the original screenplay that snagged the 2018 Nicholl Fellowship. Their story isn’t just about the triumph of talent; it’s a full-circle journey sprinkled with serendipity, mentorship, and relentless grit, starting from a high school playwriting class in Portland to rubbing elbows with industry pros like Mike Rich. What’s life like when winning the Nicholl Fellowship opens doors—and friendships—you never expected? Buckle up for insights, laughs, and the behind-the-scenes scoop on what fuels their craft, passion, and success in the unforgiving screenwriting arena. LEARN MORE
My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners.
Allison and Nicolas Buckmelter wrote the original screenplay “American Refugee” which won a 2018 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. I had the opportunity to chat with the married couple about their backgrounds, their award-winning script, the craft of screenwriting, and what winning the Nicholl has meant to them.
Scott Myers: OK, Allison, let’s start with you. I believe you hail from Portland, Oregon.
Allison Buckmelter: Yes.
Scott: Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, how did you catch the movie/TV/writing bug?
Allison: I caught the bug early on. It’s one of those fun full-circle stories. My high school had a playwriting class, which I took and loved. At the end of the year, screenwriter Mike Rich, who’s from Portland and had a connection to our school, came and spoke to our class.
He had won the Nicholl fellowship a couple of years earlier, and “Finding Forrester” had just come out. That was his Nicholl‑winning script. He talked all about the screenwriting business, and I was really taken with it.
I remember I went up to him after class, and I said, “How do you do this? How do you get to be a screenwriter?” He said, “Oh, well you just need to win the Nicholl.” [laughs]
I was like, “OK. Cool. I’ll remember that.” Over the years, I started applying to the Nicholl. When Nick and I finally won it, we met another writer who had won the fellowship around the time Mike Rich did. I told her the story, and she reached out to Mike that night.
Soon after, when Nick and I were in Portland for Thanksgiving, we found ourselves having coffee with Mike. He had remembered coming and talking to my high school class. He’s the nicest person. I think we talked for a couple of hours. He’s been great about giving us advice.
That’s a fun thing that’s come out of this, being in contact with him.
Scott: He’s been quite successful. He did The Rookie and Secretariat. I know he’s involved in that. I think he even did some writing on Cars 3 for Pixar.
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