Illinois State University School of Communication Professor John McHale and co-author Xavier Jackson have won the 2023 Santa Barbara International Diversity Film Script Award for their script Nurses Versus the Virus, a dramatic feature film about a Black male nurse on the front lines during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The script represents the top 1% of all scripts submitted to the contest as the winning entry.
“It is an honor to be recognized for my work with state-employed nurse Xavier Jackson, who has been a dear, beloved friend for 15 years,” Dr. McHale said. “As an older writer, by Hollywood standards, it is satisfying to know I have spent decades developing my ability to write a compelling and provocative film script that celebrates the work of nurses. I feel my craft has developed with each of the nearly 30 scripts I have written.”
Jackson said, “This story is dedicated to all the health care workers who battled during the pandemic, but especially to the nurses who shouldered most of the burden with dignity and pride.”
“It was an honor to be part of telling the tough stories of being a Black male nurse in a sometimes racist or racially insensitive environment,” McHale said. “I learned so much about the Black experience in America from Xavier Jackson.”
The Santa Barbara Screenplay Awards Diverse Outreach Contest states, “We take great pride in and strive to celebrate writers with diverse and under-represented minority perspectives, including those who may be disadvantaged as members of ethnic, religious, racial, LGBTQIA+, disability, or 50+ age groups.”
The contest organizers continued, “The themes and subject matter they bring to the screenwriting craft are the special focus of this uniquely progressive competition.”
Congratulations, Dr. John McHale! We are Redbird Proud of your work!
