February 5, 2018
Professor Howard Rodman to be inducted into Final Draft’s Screenwriters Hall of Fame
By Simran Bhari
Renowned screenwriter, novelist, and educator Howard Rodman will be inducted into Final Draft’s Screenwriters Hall of Fame on February 8th. Rodman is Professor and Former Chair in John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television. He is known for the screenplays Saving Grace and August, which both debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, and Joe Gould’s Secret, which opened Sundance in 2000. His screenplay F. was voted one of Hollywood’s Ten Best Unproduced Screenplays by Premiere magazine. Rodman is also the artistic director of Sundance Institute Screenwriting Labs and USC’s Scripter Awards. Grace was nominated for a Film Independent Spirit Award in the Best Screenplay category. He is past President of Writer’s Guild of America, West.
Rodman’s inspiring career achievements include a member of the National Film Preservation Board, a fellow of the Los Angeles Institute for Humanities, and a former member of the executive committee of the Writers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and a trustee of the Writers Guild Foundation.
"We are truly honored to induct Howard Rodman into our Hall of Fame,” said Scott McMenamin, President of Final Draft. “His dedication to the field of screenwriting and education as well as commitment to the WGA makes him the perfect candidate for this award.”
The induction event will be held at the Paramount Theatre, and will be co-hosted by the comedy duo Randy and Jason Sklar. Final Draft has inducted screenwriters into the distinguished Hall of Fame for the past decade. Rodman will be cited for his commitment to the writing community and his work at USC, WGA, and the Sundance Institute.