Ray Petrolino is a writer, screenwriter, director, producer, and actor who values collaborating with others to create unforgettable, uplifting experiences. He's a former IT guy who's been walking around with a lot of ideas in his head (some rather strange, admittedly) for some odd years. He put one of those ideas to paper and became the author of the novel "A Leap into Darkness" (a Readers' Favorite 5-star recipient) which is based on his award-winning screenplay of the same name. His short films have screened in festivals across the nation, and his horror short screenplay "Zombie in the Attic" was a Finalist at the 2018 Austin Revolution Film Festival.
He lives in North Carolina with his wife and family and their dog Jake (not just any dog, but a talking bichon with an unfulfilled set of demands). When he's not writing, he's listening to his dog (and sometimes his wife); or he can be found working on film sets, playing drums at his house, or playing drums at someone else's house.

Praise and Accolades for his fantasy/family novel “A Leap into Darkness”:

o Readers' Favorite 5-star review: "Ray Petrolino’s middle-grade novel, A Leap into Darkness, is an epic fantasy that will capture the hearts and imaginations of both young readers and the young at heart."

o Readers' Favorite 5-star review: "A Leap into Darkness is a tale woven with care and love. It is a tale of betrayal, trust, family, love, loyalty, friendship, and adventure! The deeper I got into the story the harder it was to put the book down!"

o Readers' Favorite 5-star review: "With a suspenseful plot and likable characters, A Leap into Darkness by Ray Petrolino is a must-read."

o Readers' Favorite 5-star review: "I loved reading A Leap Into Darkness; it is one of the best preteen children's books I've read."

Praise and Accolades for his fantasy/family feature screenplay “A Leap into Darkness” (targeting publication of the matching novel for early 2022):

o Two-time Coverfly RedList Fantasy Feature Top 20.
o Qtr-Finalist in the 2020 Emerging Screenwriters Genre Screenplay Competition.
o 2021 Table Read My Screenplay Top 100 Action/Adventure.
o Semi-Finalist in the 14th Annual-2021 StoryPros Awards Screenplay Contest.
o Qtr-Finalist in the 2021 ScreenCraft Sci-Fi & Fantasy Screenwriting Competition.
o Qtr-Finalist, 2021 Stage32 2nd Annual New Voices in Animation Screenwriting Contest.
o Qtr-Finalist in the 2021 Creative Screenwriting Animation Screenplay Competition.
o 2020 Austin Film Festival praise: “strong writing, well-developed characters, & original storyline, has the potential to delight audiences both young and older”
o 2021 Bluecat praise: “This script was actually hard to put down.”

• His horror short screenplay "Zombie in the Attic" was a Finalist at the 2018 Austin Revolution Film Festival and Semi Finalist in the 2019 Vail Screenplay Competition.
• "Zombie in the Attic" (revised as a TV pilot) was a Quarter-Finalist in the 2021 ISA Comedy Genre Busting Screenplay Competition, a Semi-Finalist in the 2021 Table Read His Screenplay Genre Screenplay Competition, Comedy Pilot, Quarter-Finalist in the 2021 Creative Screenwriting Animation Screenplay Competition, and Quarter-Finalist in the 2021 Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards Summer Competition.

• His short films have screened in festivals across the nation.
• His short film "Quantum Doughnut" was nominated for Best Director of a US Short Film in the 2019 ARFF.
• He's collaborated with other creative minds on several shorts and features that penetrate the skull and stir the soul.