NEWS
March, 2024:
TIME ZERO begins filming in Los Angeles.
After winning and placing in numerous screenwriting competitions, TIME ZERO, a contained thriller written by Carlo & Erin Carere, was optioned by Damon Jamal of In Yo FACE Filmworks. With Executive Producer Jumaane N'Namdi, filming began March 9th, starring Elizabeth Rodriguez and Eric Roberts.
January, 2024:
Carlo & I were hired to re-ink a fully-funded Young Adult/ sci-fi/ fantasy feature from Prime Zero Productions, set to film this Spring, 2024. Logline and title under wraps.
Meanwhile, our contained thriller feature film, "Time Zero," optioned by In Yo FACE Filmworks and Director/Producer Damon Jamal, went into pre-production and is set to film in Spring 2024 as well.
In Autumn 2023, we optioned a contained thriller feature, "OverRide," to Citizen Skull Productions.
Citizen Skull Productions also optioned our feature and TV series, "Reverse," after it was the #1 sci-fi project of all time on the RedList, winning dozens of awards.
March 6th, 2023
Been a minute! So much news, but as I'm a little busy, I'll just pop in here and share a few updates!
So! First and foremost, NEAR DEATH, the short film Carlo and I wrote and produced, is now streaming on multiple platforms, including:
Sling Crime Channel
Sling Thriller Channel
Sling Short Channel
Rewarded TV
Roku
Flixwest
Mometu
Moodbox
Box Brazil Play
Tubi
Plex
Xumo
Tyhpoon
Fearless
SPY v SPIA news:
Up next: The Poppy Japer International Film Festival!
“Spy v Spia” will be featured in the Local Filmmaker Showcase on Thursday, April 13th, in Morgan Hill, California at the District Theater, 7430 Monterey Street. It will be screening in Block 2, 1 pm – 3 pm.
This year’s festival will be held April 12th through 19th, 2023 in the downtowns and surrounding areas of Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy, Hollister, and San Juan Bautista, California, just 23 miles south of the Mineta San Jose International Airport.
SPY v SPIA is directed by International Man of Mystery (really!) Cristo Zambone…
Starring an honest-to-goodness, real-life former Carabinieri from Italy
(the Italian equivalent of the FBI), Carlo Carere…
Featuring comedian Paul Elia in a supporting role...
With songs and music by rocker and memoirist Mark Mallman…
Noir and stunt cinematography by award-winning female DP, Janine Sides…
And also stars an award-winning actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter,
producer, and star of HBO’s “Alabama Snake,” Erin Carere.
With arias as weapons, unicorn pizza, and lipstick stun guns, “Spy v Spia” is a zany spot of joy and fun.
Logline: Two rival international spies join forces against an evil organization only to discover secrets about their past, their future, and their hearts.
Official Selection in over 30 festivals, winner of awards including: Best Pilot, Best TV/ Web, Best Comedy Short, Best Short, Best Rom Com, Best US Short, Best International Short, Best Actress, Best Actor and more.
ABOUT ERIN & CARLO, SCREENWRITING TEAM
The Careres are an award-winning, husband/wife writing team.
Carlo was born in Naples, Italy and served as a Captain of the Carabinieri (the Italian equivalent of the FBI) for twelve years before switching to screenwriting full-time. An award-winning, published novelist in Italy Carlo moved to Hollywood and became a naturalized US Citizen.
Erin was born and raised in rural Minnesota before attending the University of MN, earning a B.A. in English Literature Magna Cum Laude, and the prestigious Manhattan School of Music before moving to Los Angeles, where she began writing one-woman shows and plays.
Their feature script, "Time Zero," was optioned by In Yo Face Filmworks in June 2022 and is in pre-production as of 2023.
Their sci-fi script “Reverse,” after hitting the #1 sci-fi project of all time on The Red List from among 90K award-winning screenplays, was acquired by Citizen Skull Productions.
Their other work "E-Ghost," was optioned by Isabella Ragona ("Stranded," "Forsaken") of Moving Pictures Media to be executive produced by James Brubaker ("Chef," "Liar Liar," "Rocky III.")
Another script, "Mindgate," has producer Joel Shapiro of Bluegrass Pictures attached, with Simon West set to direct.
Carlo and Erin’s works have won or placed in 100+ competitions. Awards include the Final Draft Big Break Award, Outstanding Screenplays Award, Sun Valley Film Festival High Scribe Award, Filmmatic Award, Script Summit Award, and more.
SCREENWRITING WINS
REVERSE, formerly known as DARK HORIZONS, a one hour sci-fi pilot complete with series bible, written by Carlo Carere & Erin Carere
WINNER, RUNNER-UP, Outstanding Screenplay Awards
WINNER, TOP THREE, Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest
WINNER, Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship
WINNER, Filmmatic Screenplay Awards
WINNER, Screenplay Festival
WINNER, High Scribe Award/ Best Script, Sun Valley Film Festival
WINNER, Best TV Pilot, Script Summit Screenplay Competition
Screencraft Coverage Service: Recommend
Finalist, Tracking Board Pilot Launch
Finalist, ISA Genre-Busting Contest (Top 10)
Finalist, Pitch Your Screenplay Contest (Top 10)
Finalist, Emerging Screenwriters Genre (Top 10)
Finalist, ISA Fast Track (Top 10)
Finalist, Screencraft Fellowship (Top 10)
Finalist, Screencraft TV Pilot Script Competition
Finalist, Tracking Board
Finalist, Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship
Finalist, CineStory Foundation - Retreat and Fellowship Competition
Finalist, Table Read My Screenplay Hollywood
Finalist, Emerging Screenwriters Shoot Your Sizzle
Finalist, Screenwriters Network Screenplay Competition
Finalist, Coverfly Pitch Week.
Finalist, Action on Film Megafest
Finalist, Creative World Awards
Finalist, Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards
Finalist, Filmmatic Pitch Now
Finalist, Southern California Screenwriting Competition (Top 10)
Semifinalist, Screencraft Sci-fi/ Fantasy Competition
Semifinalist, Page Awards
Semifinalist, Stage 32 Sci-fi/ Fantasy
Semifinalist, The Script Lab
Semifinalist, Emerging Screenwriters Competition
Semifinalist, Screencraft Pilot Launch
Semifinalist, Creative Screenwriting Awards
Semifinalist, Shore Script Awards
Semifinalist, Cinequest Film Festival
Semifinalist, Roadmap Top Tier
Semifinalist, Table Read My Screenplay Park City
Semifinalist, Atlanta Film Festival
“My heart goes with Dark Horizons. This show should be made!”
-Kevin Walsh, CEO, Scot-Free Productions, Apple+ TV, and Judge, Sun Valley Film Festival
*Reverse, FKA Dark Horizons
“The best script I’ve read in years!”
-Ed Asner, RIP
“Excellent script in so many ways. Professional-level execution on the page. Full of cinematic action and human emotion. The story evolves in intriguing directions. The concept is scary, original and involving. Despite all the violence and horror elements, it also has heart -- with the main character’s family relationships grounding it all into something relatable.”
-Erik Bork, Emmy- & Golden Globe-Winner, “Band of Brothers”
Near Death, a one hour supernatural crime pilot complete with series bible, written by Carlo Carere & Erin Carere
FINALIST, Nashville Film Festival - 2020
Near Death, a short film (2018), and now a one hour supernatural drama pilot complete with series bible, written by Carlo Carere & Erin Carere
Official Selection: American Horrors Film Festival
Oaxaca Film Festival
Chain NYC Film Festival
Awareness Film Festival
Semifinalist: Hollywood Horror Festival
Premiered on SHORTS TV in 2020!
Lou Black,a feature film
WINNER, "BEST SCREENPLAY" at the Catalina Film Festival
WINNER in the 10TH ANNUAL STORYPROS AWARDS where it won 1st PLACE in the action/adventure/thriller category.
ABOUT ERIN CARERE, WRITER
A published poet since age 16, Erin holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Minnesota, and studied singing at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. She toured the country and Europe as a singer-songwriter before moving to Los Angeles, where she began writing one-woman shows and plays. She began writing screenplays with partner Carlo in 2014. She is also the author of an unpublished novel based on a produced stageplay of the same name, My Life as a Phone Psychic. As of summer 2020, she is nearly complete with the 270th draft of a contemporary magical realism novel.