The Eremite

A grieving journalist’s obsession with a missing persons case leads her to an alleged time traveler on a mission to prevent humanity from destroying itself.

  • Mark Sposato
    Writer
    I've Been Compromised (co-writer, co-director), Hey, It's Me (co-writer, co-director)
  • Mark Sposato
    Co-director
    I've Been Compromised (co-writer, co-director), Hey, It's Me (co-writer, co-director)
  • Courtney Sposato
    Co-director
    HBO's Beyoncé: Life is But a Dream (post production supervisor), commercial spots for Jonathan Demme (editor), I've Been Compromised (co-writer, co-director, editor), Hey, It's Me (co-writer, co-director)
  • Kent Moran
    Producer, Actor
    Listen to Your Heart, The Challenger, I've Been Compromised
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Thriller, drama
  • Number of Pages:
    109
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Academy Nicholl Fellowship

    Top 10%
  • The PAGE Awards

    Semifinalist
  • The Black List

    #3 in the Sci-Fi Thriller category
  • ScreenCraft Film Fund

    Finalist
  • ScreenCraft Sci-Fi Screenplay Competition

    Semifinalist
  • ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship

    Quarterfinalist
  • WeScreenplay Feature Contest

    Shortlisted Finalist
  • The Red List

    #1 in Coverfly’s monthly Sci-Fi Feature category
  • Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards

    Semifinalist
  • Coverfly Pitch Week

    Official Selection
  • SYS's Six-Figure Screenplay Contest

    Semifinalist
  • From The Heart Productions

    HOT FILMS
Writer Biography - Mark Sposato

Mark Sposato is a designer, creative director, and filmmaker. His script for The Eremite placed in the Black List, PAGE Awards, and ScreenCraft, among others. An early inspiration was watching his cousin, David Chase, create and show-run The Sopranos. A junkie for hard-hitting, deep-cutting speculative fiction, his goal is to bring bold ideas to a diverse audience, moving them to think deeply about the human condition and grapple with the challenges we’ve left for future generations.

When Mark and his wife Courtney — a skilled film editor — realized a shared passion for storytelling could spark a powerful creative partnership, they decided to make movies together. Their love of cinema, complementary skill sets, and similar sensibilities enable them to push one another to achieve more together than would ever be possible alone.

The Sposatos co-wrote, co-directed, and produced an award-winning short thriller called “I’ve Been Compromised,” which screened at Big Apple Film Festival, Garden State Film Festival, Hang Onto Your Shorts, and NewFilmmakers NY. Their next project is a Sci-Fi short called “Hey, It’s Me,” which placed in the PAGE Awards Screenplay Competition, ScreenCraft’s Film Fund, and the HollyShorts Film Festival Screenplay Contest. It will have its World Premiere at the Austin Film Festival.

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Writer Statement

I’m obsessed with the power of belief and the pitfalls of ambition. This is woven into our plot and character dynamics through themes of self-reliance vs. external validation, as well as the central question of what happens when things we take for granted as impossible, seemingly infiltrate the real world. I love exploring how far someone will go to prove their worth, uncover a truth, or achieve a coveted goal.

Like Einstein’s “spooky action,” Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, and Schrodinger’s feline-based thought experiment, truth is rarely absolute. We hope to invite introspection and thoughtful skepticism that parallels our protagonist’s attempt to navigate a truly remarkable and increasingly dangerous situation.

Our film brings to light technological and ethical concerns that may seem outlandish today, but are actually just on the horizon. We believe these ideas will resonate with a culture perpetually obsessed with technological advancement. This insatiable appetite is tied to our evolution as a species and it will consume us if we’re not careful stewards of our own power.

We also touch on the role good old-fashioned journalism plays in the post-truth era of lies, obfuscation, and the 24 hour news cycle. Our protagonist is a Millennial woman, but in a lot of ways she has more in common with the legendary newspapermen of bygone eras. This is expressed through her idealism, tenacity, and self-destructive determination to uncover truth at the expense of relationships, career stability, and personal safety.