Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
An annual Academy Award recognizing a screenplay written directly for the screen rather than adapted from previously published or produced material.
Academy Awards: Annual awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in cinema. The screenplay prize is one category within this broader awards program.
Academy Award rules: The regulations governing eligibility, campaigning, nomination, and voting for Academy Awards. These rules define which screenplays can compete and how the category is decided.
Citizen Kane: A 1941 drama directed by Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. Its screenplay won the 1942 award, becoming one of the category’s landmark early winners.
Adaptation: The transformation of an existing work into a new form, such as a film screenplay. Adaptation is the defining alternative to original screenplay writing in the Academy’s award structure.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: A professional organization founded in 1927 to advance the motion-picture industry and present the Academy Awards. Its members establish the rules and choose the screenplay award’s nominees and winner.
Screenplay: A written plan for a film or television production, describing dialogue, action, and scenes. The award evaluates screenplays as authored works intended for screen production.
Annie Hall: A 1977 romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen, who co-wrote its screenplay with Marshall Brickman. Its win illustrates recognition of personal, formally playful comedy.
Remake: A new version of a previously released film or other work. A screenplay based on an earlier film can raise originality questions despite new dialogue and scenes.
1929 in film: A year in cinema history marked by the first Academy Awards ceremony. The first ceremony established the awards tradition from which screenplay categories developed.
Academy Award voting: The nomination and final voting procedures used by Academy members to select award recipients. Screenwriters in the Academy’s relevant branch select nominees, while the full membership votes for the winner.