The Last Maccabee became an Academy Nicholl Semi-Finalist in 2013, a year in which the Academy received a record 7,251 submissions from 79 countries, with only 147 semi-finalists in 2013. Previous Nicholl Semi-Finalists include such famed writers as Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), Damon Lindelof (Lost, Star Trek) and Michael Ardnt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3, Hunger Games: Catching Fire).