Susan Polk

Screenwriter

Belleville, New Jersey

Member Since:
November 2021

Last online:
3 days ago

Invites sent:
0

About Susan

Susan is a NJ-based screenwriter with roots in both the Deep South and the Southwest.

"Amen & Ameen" is Susan's newest screenplay and was a Second Rounder at the Austin Film Festival, a Semifinalist for The Writers Lab, and a Quarterfinalist for the Page Awards.

"Maestra" is Susan's fourth screenplay, and was a Quarterfinalist in the 2020 and 2022 Academy Nicholl Fellowships, the PAGE Screenwriting Award Competitions, and was a Semifinalist in the Austin Film Festival, The Writers Lab, and Screencraft Drama Screenplay Competitions. "Maestra" was also a Tangerine Entertainment Fellowship Finalist and Official Selection for the 2020 Stowe Story Labs Writer's Retreat. It also received a "RECOMMEND" from Roadmap Writers Accelerator Program.

Her first Screenplay, a coming of age Christmas story named “Carol,” took top honors at the Awareness Film Festival, Los Angeles and the Southeastern New England (SENE) Film Festival in Newport, RI. It has also placed as an Official Selection, Finalist, Semifinalist, and Quarterfinalist in the Screencraft Fellowship, Family Friendly Screenplay and Public Domain Competitions, the Emerging Screenwriters Competition, and in the Pasadena, Sacramento, Northern Virginia (NOVA) Festivals, among many others.

Susan's second screenplay, “SuzyQ” (formerly known as "Becoming Terpsichore"), is an 80s influenced day-romp as a woman works to rebuild the connections in her life. "SuzyQ" earned Susan a general meeting at Pascal Pictures as it was under consideration, and then nominated for The Black List. It was awarded Best Feature Screenplay at the Los Angeles-based LA Femme Int’l Film Festival, the California Women's Film Festival and the iHolly Film Festival (where it also won the “Best Characters” category). It was also a Finalist and earned a spot at the Bahamas Int'l Film Festival Screenwriters Retreat. “SuzyQ” has also had placings as Official Selection, Finalist, and Semifinalist in the Final Draft Big Break Screenplay Competition, Screencraft Comedy Screenplay Competition, Shore Scripts Screenplay Competition, Beverly Hills Film Festival, Table Read My Screenplay (London, New Orleans, Chicago & Hollywood), CineStory Foundation Retreat & Fellowship, Creative World Awards Screenwriting Competition, Catalina Film Festival, FLICKERS: Rhode Island Int’l Film Festival, and NOVA Film Festival, and was selected as a Lab Participant in the Stowe Story Labs Writers Retreat.

"Pigskin" is Susan's third screenplay and her first short. It tells the story of a football and the seven generations who cared for it. It won second place in the Script to Screen Screenplay Competition. Pigskin was also a Finalist in the Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition and the STORYLINE Competition, a Semifinalist in the Filmmatic Screenplay Awards and the Rhode Island Int'l Film Festival, and a Quarterfinalist in the PAGE Screenwriting Awards, the Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition and the Creative World Awards.

Additionally, Susan was an Honoree for the Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship, placing in the top 10.

Gender:
Female

Badges

2024-11-05

Writers' Room Member

Certifications

Photos

Loglines

Amen & Ameen Budget: $5M - $10M | Drama A woman who loses her family in a bombing wakes in the hospital with the bomber's surviving child and both must find their way forward.
Maestra Budget: $10M - $30M | Drama In 18th century France, a young girl takes on the identity of her late twin brother to save her family’s future in classical music. Once grown, and performing for Mozart and Louis XVI, she must reconcile her secret before it costs her everything.
SuzyQ Budget: $10M - $30M | Drama ⋄ Comedy When a mother’s 25th Anniversary “Primp & Pamper” day is hijacked by her daughter’s generational school project, she discovers she needs to reconnect with the girl who only sees her as RoboMom and the husband who’s always known there was more - and her inner 80s wild child is right on hand to help.
Carol Budget: $5M - $10M | Drama A young, bullied teen who has given up on life is visited by the spirit of her grandmother and the Ghosts of Christmas to help her find the will to live.
Pigskin Sports ⋄ Drama The story of a football, the man who crafted it, and the seven generations who cared for it.

Awards

Screencraft Drama Competition Finalist
(2024)
Creative World Awards Drama Screenplay Finalist
(2024)
Austin Film Festival Second Rounder
(2023)
PAGE Awards Quarterfinalist
(2023)
The Writers Lab - NYWIFT Semifinalist
(2023)
Screencraft Drama Screenplay Competition Quarterfinalist
(2023)
Pasadena Int'l Film Festival Finalist & Official Selection
(2023)
Table Read My Screenplay Competition Quarterfinalist
(2023)
The Golden Script Fellowship Semifinalist
(2023)
Nicholl Fellowships Quarterfinalist
(2022)
Stage 32 Female Driven Feature Competition Quarterfinalist
(2022)
The Writers Lab - NYWIFT Semifinalist
(2021)
Paris International Film Festival Feature Screenplay Winner
(2021)
ISA Fast Track Fellowship Top 50
(2021)
Stage 32 Drama Feature Competition Top 10
(2021)
Nicholl Fellowships Quarterfinalist
(2020)
Austin Film Festival Semifinalist
(2020)
PAGE Awards Quarterfinalist
(2020)
Stowe Story Labs Official Selection
(2020)
Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition Finalist
(2020)
Final Draft Big Break
(2019)
FLICKERS: Rhode Island Int'l Film Festival Semifinalist
(2019)
California Women's Film Festival Screenplay Winner
(2018)
Bahamas Int'l Film Festival Writer's Retreat Participant
(2018)
Beverly Hills Int'l Film Festival Official Selection
(2018)
Byron Bay Int'l Film Festival Finalist
(2018)
Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship Top 10
(2018)
iHolly Next Generation Independent Film Festival Feature Winner
(2017)
Shore Scripts Feature Screenplay Competition Quarterfinalist
(2017)
Stowe Story Labs Official Selection
(2016)
LA Femme International Film Festival Screenplay Winner
(2016)
Awareness Film Festival Feature Screenplay Winner
(2015)
SENE Southeast New England Int'l Film Festival Feature Winner
(2015)