Mendez Wins Scripter Award

Tony Mendez has picked up his first-ever Hollywood award…

The 72-year-old former CIA technical operations officer, who Ben Affleck portrays in his Oscar-nominated film Argo, won the 25th Annual USC Libraries Scripter Award for best literary film adaptation this weekend at a gala held at the University of Southern California’s Doheny Memorial Library. Mendez shared the award with Argo screenwriter Chris Terrio and journalist Joshuah Bearman, who wrote an article entitled “The Great Escape” for Wired.

Tony Mendez II

The Scripter Award goes to both the screenwriters and the author of the material on which the script is based. Although there are normally 5 finalists, this year featured six because of a tie in balloting.

The Scripter Award is only given for adaptations, not for original screenplays, but it still has a prime slot during the final Academy balloting period. Argo beat out the other Scripter Award nominees: Beasts of the Southern WildDramatist Lucy Alibar, who wrote the play Juicy and Delicious, and screenwriter Benh Zeitlin, who co-wrote the screenplay with Alibar; Life Of PiNovelist Yann Martel and screenwriter David Magee; Lincoln – Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team Of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and screenwriter Tony Kushner; Perks Of Being A Wallflower Stephen Chbosky, author of the novel Perks of Being a Wallflower, as well as the screenplay based upon the book; Silver Linings PlaybookAuthor Matthew Quick and screenwriter David O. Russell.

There were a total of 82 screenplays in the field of candidates for the USC Libraries Scripter Award, which was established in 1988 by the Friends of the USC Libraries as a way to celebrate writers and writing, honoring the year’s best adaptation of printed words into film.

Mendez Nominated for Scripter Award…

Tony Mendez has gone from decorated CIA agent to writers’ award nominee…

The 72-year-old Mexican American retired CIA technical operations officer, the man portrayed by Ben Affleck in Argo, has earned a Scripter Award nomination.

Tony Mendez

The award is bestowed by the Friends of USC Libraries and honors the screenwriter or screenwriters of the year’s most accomplished movie adaptations, as well as the author of the written work upon which the screenplay is based.

Mendez is nominated for writing The Master of Disguise, which chronicles his on-scene management of the “Canadian caper” during the Iran hostage crisis, in which he rescued six American diplomats from Tehran in November 1979.

Along with  Mendez, Joshuah Bearman, author of the article “The Great Escape,” and screenwriter Chris Terrio are nominated for Argo.

Winners will be announced on February 9 at USC.