It's not every day that a member of the Georgia Straight editorial team ends up as a finalist in a competition sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

That's why we're thrilled to announce that the extremely clever Patty Jones, a film reviewer and feature writer, is one of 11 nominees for the 2013 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.

Jones, who's also an editor at the Straight, made the cut for her screenplay entitled Joe Banks.

Not too shabby, considering there were a record 7,251 scripts submitted.

The top five will collect $35,000 fellowships, which will be presented in Beverly Hills on November 7.

She's the only Canadian in contention and the only finalist who doesn't hail from California or New York state.

Some previous fellowship winners have gone on to successful screenwriting careers.

In the meantime, Jones and other finalists are getting plenty of coverage in entertainment-oriented U.S. publications, including the Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Broadway World.

The Hollywood Reporter even included an Oscar statue above her name. We can only hope that this is an omen of what's to come.