Foxtel Fellowship awarded to Kris Mrksa

Talented screenwriter Kris Mrksa has won the 2011 Foxtel Fellowship, in recognition of his body of work.

Announced last night at the 44th Annual AWGIE Awards, the $25,000 prize assists a writer to develop a new project for television to the stage where it can be presented to market.

Foxtel Chief Executive Kim Williams said, “Kris has written for a wide range of outstanding Australian dramas that have entertained us and given us fresh perspectives on the place in which we live.

“Kris in many ways represents the modern evolution of Australian television having worked on the remarkable The King – a pioneering work for subscription television commissioned by TV1 – and Underbelly and The Secret Life of Us for the Nine and TEN networks respectively. Subscription television is allowing writers to tell Australian stories in really new, enthralling and edgy ways.”

In addition to two AFI Awards and two AWGIES, he has also written for The Secret Life of Us, Packed to the Rafters, Rush, Carla Cametti PD, East West 101, Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, Underbelly: The Golden Mile, Wilfred, and The Slap .

Mrksa said, “The paradox for most screenwriters is that as we become more established and experienced, with a greater capacity to develop viable, original concepts, we also find that we’re too busy to do it. So the freedom to experiment with new ideas, without immediate financial pressure, is an invaluable gift to any writer. nd that’s what the Foxtel Fellowship generously provides.”