Alaska Native Writer Wins Indie Screenwriting Fellowship

Kaelan Denali Dickinson has been selected as the 2026 Independent Screenwriting Fellow, a prestigious honor bestowed by The Black List and producer Cassian Elwes. This fellowship recognizes emerging talent in independent cinema, offering Dickinson an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2026 Sundance Film Festival for invaluable mentorship and exposure.

Dickinson, an actress and screenwriter with roots in Alaska, was chosen for her screenplay "American Gold." The script tells the inspiring story of Katherine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon, and her subsequent efforts to organize the inaugural women's Olympic Marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.