Shelter Me

A young woman fleeing her domestic abuser seeks refuge in a Washington D.C. homeless shelter, where she becomes ensnared in an unfolding homicide investigation that threatens not only herself, but the life of young child she has befriended.

https://fiscal.ifp.org/project.cfm/1038/Shelter-Me/

  • Jerry Vasilatos
    Director
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003537/
  • Sara Caldwell
    Writer
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0129784/
  • Jerry Vasilatos
    Writer
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003537/
  • Jerry Vasilatos
    Producer
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003537/
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Number of Pages:
    107
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Script Summit
    Las Vegas, NV
    August 21, 2018
    Finalist
  • Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards
    Los Angeles, CA
    August 22, 2018
    Best Screenplay Feature
  • Los Angeles Film Awards
    Los Angeles, CA
    September 2, 2019
    Best Drama Screenplay
Writer Biography - Sara Caldwell, Jerry Vasilatos

Sara is an award winning screenwriter/filmmaker, published author, and digital media instructor at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandizing (FIDM) in Los Angeles. She’s also a producer/writer for House of Gorey Productions, a boutique media company specializing in the horror/thriller genre.

Sara’s screenplays have been recognized with many awards, including Best Original Screenplay at the Burbank International Film Festival, NOLA Horror Film Festival, Shivers International Film Festival, Dazed4Horror Film Festival and the Cannes Screenplay Contest. Her short films have also received many accolades, including Best Short Film at the Indie Horror Film Festival, Los Angeles Thriller Film Festival, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, and Creative Arts Film Festival.

Sara is also the co-writer/producer of "Boomers", a comedy web series that is going into its second season in 2019. Previously, Sara was a producer/writer for Amphion Productions in Chicago and Motion Masters in Charleston, West Virginia. She was also a writer/ producer for Worldnet Television in Washington, DC, an internationally televised program of the United States Information Agency.

Sara is the author of the young adult novel "Raven Dock" (Whitebird Publications) and three industry related books, including "Splatter Flicks - How to Make Low Budget Horror Films" (Allworth Press). She received an MFA in Screenwriting from California State University Northridge (CSUN).

Sara is a member of the Writer’s Guild of America West.

Sara Caldwell on IMDB:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0129784/

Jerry is a native Chicagoan who attended Columbia College in Chicago. His first film, "Solstice," was awarded the Silver Award by the Charleston International Film Festival, the Bronze Award by the Houston International Film Festival, and was broadcast again by Lifetime Television on Christmas Eve of 1995. The film underwent a 2K restoration with the addition of a new orchestral score for its 25th Anniversary under Jerry’s supervision for release on broadcast and streaming platforms in 2019.

Relocating to Los Angeles in 1996, Jerry spent 10 years working in film and television, running his boutique editing studio Nitestar Productions. While in Los Angeles, Jerry’s work included editing DVD featurettes produced by Trailer Park for Universal Home Video and Fox Atomic, 10 segments of the series "Breaking In" produced for the Reelz Channel and co-producing / editorial duties on twenty-three episodes of the weekly syndicated series "Made in Hollywood." Jerry also edited "Now You Know," the romantic comedy written and directed by "Clerks" star Jeff Anderson.

Returning to Chicago in 2007, Jerry now works on projects between his hometown and Los Angeles. Named by New City as one of the top 50 people in Chicago’s booming film industry, Jerry's credits include a wide variety of projects including commercials, music videos, documentaries, short films, and 4 episodes of the History Channel series "Gangland." He is presently the Chicago City Producer of the world-renowned 48 Hour Film Project while developing several projects for his company Nitestar Productions at Cinespace’s Stage 18 in Chicago. "Shelter Me" is the first of those projects.

Jerry Vasilatos on IMDB:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003537/

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Writer Statement

The narrative tapestry of "Shelter Me" deals with a multitude of social issues ranging from from domestic abuse and homelessness, to illiteracy, alcoholism and human trafficking. It also features a racial and gender diverse cast of characters whose stories we feel will resonate with a wide ranging audience. The lead character Jeanie Carpenter is a 22-year old woman whose resolve to end the cycle of abuse in her life sets the stage for a dramatic, suspenseful and inspirational journey.