Joshua Marc Allen
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Joshua Marc Allen's distinguished career as an American writer and director, now boasting 56 international awards for his scripts on the festival circuit, is a testament to his unique blend of military discipline and artistic drive.
Josh's journey began with service to his country as a Korean linguist in the U.S. Army, from which he was honorably discharged in 2008. Immediately following, he relocated to San Francisco to pursue his artistic calling at the Academy of Art University, specializing in acting. During his studies, Josh gained invaluable hands-on experience through a comprehensive curriculum that rotated students through every on-set role, providing a holistic understanding of film production.
In 2012, after graduating with a BFA in Acting, Josh moved to Los Angeles. His entry into professional filmmaking was serendipitous. In 2013, he received an invitation from his former teacher, Doug Campbell, to visit the set of The Surrogate (2013). Displaying an acute observational skill and an eagerness to learn, Josh quickly transitioned from a guest to a production assistant, embodying his self-proclaimed mantra: "Come once, you're a guest. Come twice; you work there." This initial engagement blossomed into a sustained collaboration across five feature films. Following The Surrogate, Josh was invited from the beginning to work on Dirty Teacher (2013). This productive working relationship continued through projects like The Perfect Boyfriend (2013) and Missing at 17 (2013), culminating in his role as Key Set PA on The Cheating Pact (2013). Throughout this period, Josh strategically utilized his time on set to forge extensive working relationships across various departments.
Leveraging this robust network and practical knowledge, Josh embarked on his independent filmmaking journey in 2013. He directed his first short film, 5 Hours Later (2013), assembling his crew from the friends and colleagues he had made on the feature projects. Over the following year and a half, he released four more short films. By 2015, Josh was fully focused on his first independent feature film, Fixer (2015), which he both wrote and directed. Given the independent nature of these projects, Josh often balanced his creative endeavors with full-time off-set employment.
After the completion of Fixer, Josh opted for a brief hiatus to prioritize his personal life and well-being. However, his passion for storytelling quickly reignited. By 2018, he had completed six new feature scripts. One of these, Escape (2018), became his next independent feature, produced and directed that same year. His efforts on this film, alongside a burgeoning presence on YouTube, dominated his attention throughout 2018 and 2019.
The global pandemic of 2020 brought the entire industry to a standstill. Josh relocated to Atlanta, channeling this period of industry shutdown into prolific writing. It was also in 2020 that Josh co-founded The Atlantis Awards, an international film awards ceremony dedicated to championing independent and student cinema. As its current Managing Director, he has been instrumental in shaping the organization's mission to unearth and celebrate hidden cinematic gems. The Atlantis Awards is poised to enter its tenth season in just five years of operation, a testament to Josh's vision and the awards' rapid global expansion.
By late 2021, Josh began pushing his newly written scripts into the festival circuit, achieving significant recognition and accumulating 56 international awards to date.
Currently, Josh continues to be an influential force in independent cinema. He remains actively involved in developing new projects, writing compelling scripts, and periodically appearing on stage at award shows. Furthermore, Josh is presently traveling in Europe, continuing his dedicated efforts toward The Atlantis Awards' international expansion, further solidifying his impact on the global film industry.
Josh's journey began with service to his country as a Korean linguist in the U.S. Army, from which he was honorably discharged in 2008. Immediately following, he relocated to San Francisco to pursue his artistic calling at the Academy of Art University, specializing in acting. During his studies, Josh gained invaluable hands-on experience through a comprehensive curriculum that rotated students through every on-set role, providing a holistic understanding of film production.
In 2012, after graduating with a BFA in Acting, Josh moved to Los Angeles. His entry into professional filmmaking was serendipitous. In 2013, he received an invitation from his former teacher, Doug Campbell, to visit the set of The Surrogate (2013). Displaying an acute observational skill and an eagerness to learn, Josh quickly transitioned from a guest to a production assistant, embodying his self-proclaimed mantra: "Come once, you're a guest. Come twice; you work there." This initial engagement blossomed into a sustained collaboration across five feature films. Following The Surrogate, Josh was invited from the beginning to work on Dirty Teacher (2013). This productive working relationship continued through projects like The Perfect Boyfriend (2013) and Missing at 17 (2013), culminating in his role as Key Set PA on The Cheating Pact (2013). Throughout this period, Josh strategically utilized his time on set to forge extensive working relationships across various departments.
Leveraging this robust network and practical knowledge, Josh embarked on his independent filmmaking journey in 2013. He directed his first short film, 5 Hours Later (2013), assembling his crew from the friends and colleagues he had made on the feature projects. Over the following year and a half, he released four more short films. By 2015, Josh was fully focused on his first independent feature film, Fixer (2015), which he both wrote and directed. Given the independent nature of these projects, Josh often balanced his creative endeavors with full-time off-set employment.
After the completion of Fixer, Josh opted for a brief hiatus to prioritize his personal life and well-being. However, his passion for storytelling quickly reignited. By 2018, he had completed six new feature scripts. One of these, Escape (2018), became his next independent feature, produced and directed that same year. His efforts on this film, alongside a burgeoning presence on YouTube, dominated his attention throughout 2018 and 2019.
The global pandemic of 2020 brought the entire industry to a standstill. Josh relocated to Atlanta, channeling this period of industry shutdown into prolific writing. It was also in 2020 that Josh co-founded The Atlantis Awards, an international film awards ceremony dedicated to championing independent and student cinema. As its current Managing Director, he has been instrumental in shaping the organization's mission to unearth and celebrate hidden cinematic gems. The Atlantis Awards is poised to enter its tenth season in just five years of operation, a testament to Josh's vision and the awards' rapid global expansion.
By late 2021, Josh began pushing his newly written scripts into the festival circuit, achieving significant recognition and accumulating 56 international awards to date.
Currently, Josh continues to be an influential force in independent cinema. He remains actively involved in developing new projects, writing compelling scripts, and periodically appearing on stage at award shows. Furthermore, Josh is presently traveling in Europe, continuing his dedicated efforts toward The Atlantis Awards' international expansion, further solidifying his impact on the global film industry.
