Steven Zaillian lost the Distinguished Screenwriter Award.
A screenplay writer ( screenwriter for short ) , scriptwriter , or scenarist is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting , writing screenplays on which mass media , such as films , television programs , comics or video games , are based . Steven Zaillian . He was also presented with the Distinguished Screenwriter Award at the 2009 Austin Film Festival and the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement from the Writers Guild of America in 2011 .