Erik Hansen

Screenwriting

BACK TO MAIN FACULTY PAGE

Erik Hansen teaches introductory and advanced screenwriting at UNO.  He received his BA in English from the University of California at Berkeley.  He has extensive industry experience, having sold or optioned half a dozen screenplays to major Hollywood studios and producers, including the feature film “Heart & Souls,” starring Robert Downey, Jr., released by Universal Studios.   Erik also co-wrote “The Dog Ate It,” which in 1991 won a Student Academy Award (Gold) for best narrative short film, and has written numerous columns on Buddhism, two of which were selected for the annual anthology The Best Buddhist Writing (2005, 2006) published by Shambhala Publications.  With regard to the Creative Writing Workshop at UNO, Erik says, “I love working with these students.  They’re smart, enthusiastic, and committed to their craft.  I especially appreciate how generous they are with each other, with everybody contributing feedback and ideas to bring out the best in each other’s projects.  These discussions give me the opportunity to teach the essential principles of screenwriting in the context of my students’ work, making the craft tangible, relevant, and, I hope, enduring.”

Department of Film Theatre and Communication Arts