James Schamus, the Oscar-nominatedscreenwriter of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Ice Storm, will be honoured with NBC's screenwritertribute at this year's Nantucket Film Festival which will take place June20-23, 2002.

The festival, which isdedicated exclusively to screenwriting and the concept that the writer'scontribution is at the core of all good film-making, was established in 1996 onthe island of Nantucket. 30 features and shorts are screened

"We are honored totribute someone as prolific as James Schamus. Not only does he leap from genreto genre but he re-creates the genre," said artistic director Mystelle Brabbee."He hasn't followed Hollywood's screenplay rules. He makes the rules and keepstesting the limit. James has also engaged with many of Hollywood's traditionsthat Hollywood itself has forgotten. And in doing so, he has brilliantlycrafted screenplays that are exhilarating and profoundly moving."

Schamus is currently scriptingThe Hulk for his longtimecollaborator Ang Lee.