Since 1990, more than 1,000 international clients—writers, filmmakers, agents, production companies, and studio executives, work with award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker Susan Kouguell on their projects.
TEACHING
Susan teaches screenwriting and television writing at Purchase College SUNY, and Film Fundamentals, Screenwriting, and Global Cinema at Pratt Institute where she is a visiting assistant professor. She presents international seminars, including a summer session at the Prague Film School in the Czech Republic. Previous screenwriting teaching positions include Tufts University, Harvard University Extension School, and School of Visual Arts.
GUEST SPEAKER
Susan presents film industry seminars for organizations and universities, including New York University, Boston University, Temple University, the New School, Lesley University Screenwriting MFA Program, Emerson and Hunter colleges, the Writers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of America, Writer’s Digest Conference, Screenwriting Expo, Screenwriters World Conference (NYC and L.A.), Scr(i)pt Magazine’s Pitch Xchange, Independent Feature Project, Independent Feature Film Market, New York Women in Film & Television, Women Make Movies, Women in Film/Video New England, Atlantic Film & Video Producers Conference in Canada, New England Screenwriters Conference.
PUBLICATIONS
Author of SAVVY CHARACTERS SELL SCREENPLAYS! and THE SAVVY SCREENWRITER. Susan’s work was featured in NOW WRITE! Screenwriting: Exercises by Today’s Best Screenwriters, Teachers and Consultants (Tarcher/Penguin) and MovieMaker Magazine’s Complete Guide to Making Movies.
Susan is a Senior Contributing Editor for Script magazine. Other publications include Writer’s Digest, the Writers Guild, IndieWire/SydneysBuzz and MovieMaker Magazine, covering international film festivals, filmmakers and industry panels.
Susan Kouguell Press Publications
SCREENWRITING/FILM GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS
2022 recipient of the SUNY Purchase Faculty Support Award; Whitney Independent Study Program (ISP) fellow; MacDowell Fellow; Pen Grant; The Edward Albee Foundation Screenwriting Fellow; Jerome Foundation Production Grant; New York Foundation for the Arts Film Fellowship; Art Matters Inc. Screenwriting Fellowship; Cummington Community for the Arts Screenwriting Fellow; Creative Artists Public Service (CAPS) film production grant; Brooklyn Arts & Cultural Association 5 film production grants; and Artist’s Space Exhibition Funding Grant.
FEATURE FILM CREDITS
Over a dozen feature-film screenwriting assignments, including The Suicide Club (Anjelica Films), voice-over narrations for Miramax Films Murder One (Henry Thomas) and Dakota (Lou Diamond Phillips).
Film production: Louis Malle’s feature documentary And the Pursuit of Happiness – Production Coordinator/Research/Crew/Voiceover Narration Consultant. Rum & Coke – Associate Producer/Script Consultant; feature film written and directed by Maria Escobedo and Where The Rivers Flow North – Associate Producer/Script Consultant; feature film directed by Jay Craven, starring Rip Torn, Tantoo Cardinal, and Michael J. Fox.
JUDGE FOR SCREENWRITING COMPETITIONS AND FILM FESTIVALS
The Writers Lab (NYWIFT/WGA East – Meryl Streep); NYC Midnight Short Screenplay Challenge; Women in Film/New England Screenwriting Competition; Emerson College Screenwriting Awards; NH Film Festival; Maine Screenwriting Competition; Independent Feature Project Beigel Screenwriting Awards; School of Visual Arts Dusty Awards; A.C.E. Awards (National Academy of Cable Programming); Brooklyn Arts & Cultural Association Filmsearch, American Film Festival; Thomas Edison Black Maria Festival.
STUDIO EXPERIENCE
Story analyst and story editor: Miramax, Viacom, Paramount Pictures, and Dustin Hoffman’s Punch Productions.
Acquisitions consultant Republic Pictures, and sought directing talent and acquisitions for Warner Brothers.
ADDITIONAL FILM EXPERIENCE
Independent Feature Film Market: In conjunction with the Independent Feature Project, Susan developed the Script Section, offering consultations to hundreds of script directory registrants for five years.
Independent Feature Film Market Buyer Liaison: Worked with filmmakers and international film buyers/distributors/producers, looking to buy/sell feature films/videos for all markets.
SUSAN’S SHORT FILMS
Susan Kouguell is an award-winning writer and filmmaker. In 2017, Susan returned to making short films — this time working alone as the writer, director, and producer: solo films. Several are distributed at the Filmmakers’ Coop.
Screenings and awards include Royal Society Of Television & Motion Picture Awards, India (Outstanding Achievement Award); Switzerland International Film Festival (Best Experimental Film); Millennium Film Workshop, USA (Barbie Dream House programmed in ‘Uncanny Valley of the Dolls’); Amsterdam World Film Festival, Netherlands. (Best Short Film); Montreal Independent Film Festival, Canada (Official Selection); London Indie Short Festival of 24 Frames, England. (Official Selection); NewFilmmakers New York Festival (Official Selection); Best Global Shorts, India (Official Selection); Top Indie Film Awards, Japan (Nominee: Best Original Idea, No Budget Spirit award, Best Experimental Short, Best Writing, and Best Editing); Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival, Greece (Finalist); Alternative Film Festival, Canada (Best Artistic Film, Best Experimental Film, Best Director); L’Age d’Or International Arthouse Film Festival, India (Outstanding Achievement Award: Silent Film; Finalist); Couch Film Festival, Canada. (Best Experimental North America; Semi-Finalist: Best Director, Best Writer); The Artists Forum Festival of the Moving Image (Best Experimental Nominee); Top Indie Awards Japan (Winner Best Message, Nominee Best Writing, Best Experimental Short Film); Alternative Film Festival, Canada (Best Experimental Film and Best Director); Couch Film Festival, Canada. (Best Director Semi-Finalist, Best Experimental Semi-Finalist, and Best Writer Semi-Finalist); Euro Film Festival Geneva (Official Selection); The Accolade Global Film Competition, USA (Award of Recognition); The Artists Forum Festival of the Moving Image, USA (Official Selection); Alternative Film Festival (Best Director Winner, 2 films Semi-Finalist: Best Writer, Best Director); DUMBO Film Festival (Semi-Finalist); Changing Face International Film Festival, Australia, (Semi-Finalist); New York No Limits: Art of the Short Festival (Official Selection); New York City International Films Infest Festival; Refugees Welcome Film Festival (Berlin, Germany); Leiden International Short Film Experience (Netherlands); SPE (Society for Photographic Education) Festival (USA); Experimental Forum (USA) Honorable Mention 2018 & 2019; Selected for the main exhibition at Video Art International Festival, (Macau, China).
Susan wrote, produced, and co-directed with Ernie Marrero, six short films that have screened in over 50 international museums and festivals as part of the Museum of Modern Art and Whitney Museum of American Art film tours. Collections and invitational screenings include the Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial, Museum of Modern Art: (six films acquired for their film archives); SUNY Purchase archives, Salle Beaubourg, Centre Pompidou, Paris, and Jean Vilar – Avignon, France: presented by the Museum of Modern Art: “Cinema Experimental American 1905-1984.”(Guest speaker); Museum of Modern Art New Acquisitions Show. Museum of Modern Art: One Day… acquired for the permanent collection. Hirshhorn Museum/Smithsonian Institution. Their short film awards include: Bucks County Festival: Best Narrative; Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival: multi-prizewinner; Marburg (Germany) International Film Festival The Unica Prize: Most Outstanding Film; The BDFA Prize: (Association of German filmmakers) Most Impressive Film Striving in New Film Structures; The Bronze Medal; Berlin Interfilm Int’l S-8 Film Festival: Top Prize, Baltimore International Festival prize winner.
MUSIC and POETRY
Choral and Poetry Texts. A classically trained violist, Susan combines her passion for music and poetry in her choral texts for composers Ryan Homsey (“BELIEVE ME“) premiered with the New Haven Oratorio Choir in 21; Alvin Singleton, “PRAISEMAKER” (“Singing Rooms” CD); and Jonathan Elliott (“BRAVER THAN THE OTHER” – premiered the Poetry Project at Saint Marks, NYC. “PraiseMaker” commissioned choral work for composer Alvin Singleton, premiered at the Cincinnati May Fest under the direction of James Conlon 1998 (performed again under Conlon in 2003 at the May Fest); Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Robert Spano 2002 with performances across the country. The Singing Rooms CD released 2011.
Librettist: “The World Is Here With Me” composer Alvin Singleton premiered Spelman College. Librettist: “Braver than the Other” composer Jonathan Elliott, premiered St. Mark’s Church, NYC.
Violist: New York symphonies; Concert Tours to South America and Far East.
Susan wrote the poetic text for artist Annebarbe Kau’s sound piece Kopfstand, exhibited in Bonn, Germany.
In 2023, Susan’s poems Island Many and a murmuration appeared in Tiny Spoon Literary Magazine. (YouTube reading of a murmuration features a watercolor by Lauren Stringer.) Susan’s haiku photo collage piece Vintage Love in a Suitcase appears in Issue 108 of 49th Parallel Magazine.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
New York Women in Film and Television, Women in Film/Video New England, ASCAP. (Librettist)
EDUCATION
Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program Fellow (Studio Program: Film/Writing); Purchase College, SUNY, B.A.; Jung Institute – Zurich, Switzerland (Music therapy, Psychology).
