Susan Kouguell

Susan Kouguell serves as Lecturer of Screenwriting in the Playwriting and Screenwriting program at Purchase College, State University of New York, within the School of Film and Media Studies. Her career bridges academic instruction and active film industry practice through consulting, writing, and production.

Her educational background includes:

• BA from Purchase College, SUNY
• Whitney Independent Study Program fellowship

Kouguell specializes in screenwriting and playwriting with emphasis on character-driven narrative techniques for film and television. Her pedagogical approach integrates industry experience through books like Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays and The Savvy Screenwriter, focusing on practical applications of narrative theory and market realities for emerging writers.

Her professional recognition includes:

• MacDowell Colony Fellowship
• Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship
• Jerome Foundation Fellowship
• New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship

Industry contributions span associate producing feature films, rewrite assignments for Miramax, story department roles at Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., and founding Su-City Pictures East, LLC—consulting for 1,000+ global clients. She regularly contributes to Script Magazine and participates in events like the NY Film Festival Conversation Series, interviewing filmmakers including Joe Berlinger and Ramona Diaz. Her award-winning short films reside in the Museum of Modern Art archives and Whitney Museum Biennial collection.