International Screenwriter Association

The International Screenwriters' Association (or simply The ISA) is a screenwriting resource and community founded by filmmaker Craig James Pietrowiak. Craig James is an award winning writer, director and producer (and avid CUBS fan) grew up on the north side of Chicago and graduated from Northern Illinois University. After his TV pilot "Wrigleyville" was noticed by a major Hollywood agency, which lead to literary representation, Pietrowiak moved to Los Angeles where he chose to stay. After some time in LA, finding difficulty in uncovering helpful resources to develop the craft, he started the ISA in 2008 to make it easier for screenwriters to find the tools necessary to connect to the industry and launch their career. Pietrowiak's recent focus has been on the expansion of the ISA and growth of its international membership, as well as his filmmaking and acting career.[1][2]

The organization was founded in 2008 with the mission to provide resources to emerging screenwriters. There have been over 80,000 members since its launch and several success stories. Writers have procured representation at major agencies, seen their work premiere at Tribeca and Cannes Film Festivals, been optioned by production companies, and otherwise continued to advance their distinct and diverse abilities within the industry. The ISA has also received endorsements from several award-winning writers including Oscar-winning writer Paul Haggis (Crash, Million Dollar Baby), who writes: "Anyone who has ever volunteered to read a script from a screenplay competition knows what to expect: about two hours of pain that feels like two weeks. What I never expected is racing through an ISA selected script and not wanting it to end, and that is exactly what happened. Whatever ISA is doing with new writers, they are doing it right - and that is a very rare thing in our business. They deserve all the success that they are enjoying, and much more to come."[3]

The organization has been named one of MovieBytes' "Best Screenplay Contests to Enter in 2017" for both their ISA Fast Track Fellowship Program and the ISA-sponsored Table Read My Screenplay.[4]

Its podcast Curious About Screenwriting has interviewed notable artists such as Virginia Madsen ("Joy"), Blye Pagon Faust ("Spotlight"), Meg LeFauve ("Inside Out"), Seanne Winslow ("The Lego Movie"), David Rambo ("Empire"), Ted Sullivan ("Supergirl"), Jane Anderson ("Olive Kitteridge"), Matthew Robbins ("Crimson Peak"), Tony Krantz ("Blood & Oil"), Danny Rose ("Scorpion"), Victor Hsu ("Transparent"), Wes Ball ("The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials"), Brian Burns ("Blue Bloods"), Carlos Portugal ("East Los High"), Ian Edwards ("blackish"), Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier ("Terminator Genisys"), Jon McNamara ("Aquarius"), Gloria Calderon Kellett ("How I Met Your Mother," "iZombie"), Leigh Savidge ("Straight Outta Compton"), Ryan Engle ("Non Stop"), Stuart Beattie ("Pirates of the Caribbean"), Lewaa Nasserdeen ("The Goldbergs"), and Jon Cassar ("24").[5]