John Arvai is an aspiring screenwriter who has completed 11 features, 1 short, and is always working on new material. He has over 30 contest placements in major screenwriting contests and is also the author of three children's books including the multi award-winning storybook, Off the Hook - A Christmas Ornament Adventure (www.offthehookbook.net), which he adapted from one of his screenplays.
Drone (Short) Budget: $0 - $100K | Thriller ⋄ Horror Told through the lens of a consumer-style drone camera, a drone hobbyist must fight for his survival after the person he was spying on takes him captive. REAR WINDOW meets THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT
Off the Hook Animation ⋄ Adventure ⋄ Family Set in a world where a Christmas tree's star is actually a secret transmitter used by Santa Claus to identify all of the active Christmas homes throughout the world, a by-the-book toy soldier must lead a group of Christmas tree ornaments in a desperate race against time to find their missing star so Santa doesn’t skip their house. TOY STORY meets NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Do or Die Action ⋄ Thriller A former pro hockey enforcer turned coach is his son's only hope after his hockey team is taken hostage by unknown forces during a tournament in Russia. DIE HARD meets CLIFFHANGER
Grunt Thriller ⋄ Horror A Vietnam POW struggles to survive captivity to seek revenge on the group of soldiers who betrayed him and left him for dead. THE REVENANT meets APOCALYPSE NOW meets SAW
Yard of Bricks Action ⋄ Comedy Three friends attending the Indianapolis 500 race are inadvertently transported back to the same event in the year 1977, and must discover the way back to the future before the end of the race or else be trapped there forever. THE HANGOVER meets BACK TO THE FUTURE
Balloonatics Action ⋄ Adventure ⋄ Comedy ⋄ Family Intent on using the reward money to save their music program from budget cuts, three quirky marching band students race to find a stolen diamond that was mistakenly placed on one of the floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade before the robbers do. GOONIES meets ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
Wild Wests Action ⋄ Comedy ⋄ Western The West family, a dysfunctional black household from Chicago, finds themselves stuck back-in-time in the Old West, and on the run after accidentally interrupting the showdown at the O.K. Corral and making off with a wagon of silver. WE'RE THE MILLERS meets TOMBSTONE
Bucket of Blood Action ⋄ Sci-fi An Old West outlaw found frozen in the Nevada mountains is brought back to life by a groundbreaking serum in a last ditch attempt by a scientist to protect it from a corporate madman. Holding the only key to the serum within his blood, he must use frontier justice to thwart 21st century criminals before father time catches back up with him. TRUE GRIT meets THE BOURNE IDENTITY
Christmas Scraps Comedy ⋄ Family Mayhem erupts over the Christmas holiday when a music teacher spars with a childhood bully while trying to save his district's music program from being cut by a pretentious Superintendent. CHRISTMAS VACATION meets MEET THE PARENTS
iKill Thriller One year after losing her only child in an auto accident caused by her distracted driving sister, a patrol officer discovers that her sister has been brutally murdered. Now she must prove her innocence while struggling to stop her killer whose next victims are contacts from her sister's phone. MYSTIC RIVER meets SEVEN
Silent Soldier War A former soldier fudges a military medical exam to re-enlist and join the war on terror. His mission? To die for his country. BREAKING BAD meets THE HURT LOCKER.
Killer Shorts Screenplay Contest, Semifinalist, Drone
(2020)
Emerging Screenwriters Shoot Your Short, Top 100, Drone
(2020)
Purple Dragonfly Awards, Honorable Mention, Neat Freaks
(2020)
Shriekfest, Quarterfinalist, Drone
(2020)
Big Apple Film Festival, Semifinalist, Off the Hook
(2019)
StoryPros, Semifinalist, Off the Hook
(2019)
Purple Dragonfly Awards, Honorable Mention, The Good Mood Book
(2019)
Book Excellence Awards, Winner (Holiday), Off the Hook
(2019)
Readers' Favorite, Honorable Mention, Neat Freaks
(2019)
The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, Finalist, Neat Freaks
(2019)
Independent Press Award, Winner (Holiday), Off the Hook
(2018)
Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, Winner, Off the Hook
(2018)
New Apple Book Awards, Official Selection, Off the Hook
(2018)
Tracking Board Launch Pad Feature Competition, Top 75 (out of 4000+), Off the Hook
(2017)
Nashville Film Festival, Semifinalist (Family/Animation), Off the Hook
(2017)
Screencraft Family-friendly Contest, Semifinalist, Off the Hook
(2017)
Fresh Voices Screenplay Contest, Quarterfinalist (Family), Off the Hook
(2017)
National Indie Excellence Awards, Winner (Holiday), Off the Hook
(2017)
Page Awards, Quarterfinalist (Action), Do or Die
(2017)
Nicholl Fellowship, Top 10%, Off the Hook
(2017)
Holiday Book Festival, Grand Prize Winner, Off the Hook
(2017)
Hollywood Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Off the Hook
(2017)
Readers' Favorite International Book Awards, Silver Medal, Off the Hook
(2017)
NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Off the Hook
(2017)
Austin Film Festival, 2nd Round (Comedy), Wild Wests
(2017)
Austin Film Festival, 2nd Round (Comedy), Balloonatics
(2017)
Final Draft Big Break, Semifinalist (Animation/Family), Off the Hook
(2017)
Emerging Screenwriters, Honorable Mention (Top 13 out of 2000), Off the Hook
(2017)
Final Draft Big Break, Top 10 Finalist (Action), Do or Die
(2016)
New York Screenplay Contest, Finalist (Family), Off the Hook
(2016)
Screencraft Family-friendly Contest, Semifinalist, Off the Hook
(2016)
Austin Film Festival, 2nd Round (Comedy), Off the Hook
(2016)
Screencraft Fellowship, Quarterfinalist, Off the Hook
(2016)
Screencraft Comedy Contest, Quarterfinalist, Tombstone Gang (a.k.a. Wild Wests)
(2016)
Foreword INDIES Book Of The Year, Honorable Mention, Off the Hook
(2016)
Los Angeles Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Off the Hook
(2016)
Austin Film Festival, 2nd Round (Comedy), Yard of Bricks
(2015)
Screencraft Action/Thriller Contest, Quarterfinalist, Bucket of Blood
(2015)
Screencraft Action/Thriller Contest, Quarterfinalist, Do or Die
(2015)
Fresh Voices Screenplay Contest, Quarterfinalist (Action/Thriller), Do or Die
(2015)
Nicholl Fellowship, Top 20%, Silent Soldier
(2015)
Fresh Voices Screenplay Contest, 3rd Place Winner (Comedy), Yard of Bricks
(2014)
Holiday Screenplay Competition, Top 5 Finalist, Christmas Scraps
(2014)
Screencraft Comedy Contest, Semifinalist, Yard of Bricks
(2014)
Nicholl Fellowship, Top 20%, iKill
(2014)
Nicholl Fellowship, Top 15%, Silent Soldier
(2014)
Final Draft Big Break, Quarterfinalist (Thriller), iKill
(2013)
Nicholl Fellowship, Top 10%, Silent Soldier
(2013)
Thomas More College
(2000-2002)
Wright State University
(1995-1999)