susan allena jones is a writer, director, and editor from Garner, North Carolina. She has long-been a writer and storyteller; she pursued her Bachelor’s degree in English & Comparative Literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before UNC, Susan was an active member of her elementary school’s “Storytelling Club” and was nicknamed “TV-watcher” by her Grammie.

Upon completing her degree at Carolina and encountering filmmaking for the first time in her final semester, Susan made the leap to apply to the University of Southern California’s prestigious MFA program for Film & TV Production. Since attending USC, Susan has written for two capstone projects—”Bury Me in Color," a capstone short film, and “GRADS”, an upcoming television pilot—the former of which was selected for competition at Austin Film Festival 2025. She has also written two feature-length films and developed a comedy series. In January 2026, Susan wrote, directed, and produced her first independent short film: “At All Costs,” a story set in a post-apocalyptic world that follows a woman as she decides if preservation is worth her humanity. The film is set to be completed Summer 2026.

Susan’s passion for filmmaking extends beyond the creative and into community. Her proudest accomplishments in film include curating positive and invigorating work environments that push filmmakers to be their best while also maintaining the joy of creating.