John Varkados

John Varkados is a writer and director who was born in South Korea and grew up in the Poconos, navigating an upbeat household with four siblings under the shadow of a deeply ingrained, almost "World War III is imminent" sensibility - a perspective that would later inform his dramatic work. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Marines from 2009 to 2014. John later learned the fundamentals of filmmaking from BU's College of Communication and earned a BA from Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts with a strong focus on artist intermediary management. Following a decade of service, John pivoted to screenwriting, optimizing the craft to bring to light narratives often overlooked, especially the complexities of transitioning from the military to the civilian sector, as well as the dynamic music scene in Boston. He earned an MFA in Dramatic Writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), graduating in August 2024. During his tenure at SCAD, he was awarded the 2024 Webby Award for Best Student Video. Today, John grounds his work in an understanding of human stories and a fascination for creating scenes stemmed from the adversities he has overcome. In a recent October 2025 interview with former award-winning Rolling Stone journalist Peter Relic, accomplished Hollywood screenwriter Greg DePaul (Bride Wars, Saving Silverman) captured his assessment: "John draws from his background and knowledge of human nature to create living, breathing characters," DePaul says. "His work excels on the page as it will on the screen." Recent accolades include being named a Quarterfinalist in both the Writers Guild Foundation's 2025-26 Veterans Writing Project and Final Draft's 2025 Big Break Competition. His thesis screenplay, "Beckett!", was listed on the TOP 20 Red List for one-hour comedy for December 2024 and January 2025.