Mark Bowes

As a teen, Mark spent Summers making his own Super-8, stop-motion animation, which resulted in him catching the filmmaking bug. Exposure to 70’s disaster films cemented his desire to pursue film as a career.

Mark's interest in the periphery drew him to punk, then performance and a stint in a heavy-metal drag band in San Francisco.

Studying filmmaking at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago followed soon after and his first film, Get Happy or The Night Judy Garland Started A Riot, screened in numerous film festivals around the world, from Montreal to New York, Paris, Glasgow and Tokyo.

Since college, Mark lived abroad teaching English in Japan, started a company creating promotional videos for small businesses, and for the last 11 years Mark has studied screenwriting, where his work has earned him accolades from Cinestory TV Retreat, Stowe Story Labs, Screencraft Screenwriting Fellowship, Stage 32 Diversity Springboard, Series Fest Storytellers Initiative, WeScreenplay's Diverse Voices and Roadmap's Wise Words screenwriting contests. Mark is also a recent finalist in the 2021 Austin Film Festival Virtual Pitch Competition and winner of the 2021 ISA Virtual Pitch Challenge.

Mark is constantly finding new stories to tell, be they based on personal experience, inspired by books he's read or emerging from the overlooked elements of our culture. His work focuses on the underdog, the misunderstood, the maligned, heroes who don’t back down, who refuse to allow others to take away their identity, passion or pride.

As a member of the LGBTQI+ community, Mark is encouraged by the emerging visibility of the queer community in today’s media.

"Growing up in the 70’s meant searching in vain for those who looked like, acted like or resembled you. I can only hope that by pushing itself to include and celebrate all spectrums of human experience, our world will become a better and more welcoming place."

Independent Screenwriter / Director located in Palm Springs, CA. My work focuses on the struggles and impact of the LGBTQI+ community. Representation is not enough. Inclusivity is not enough. Our stories span centuries and we've just started to explore the breadth of queer history. I hope to bring more of these tales to light.