We’re looking forward to introducing you to Federica Alice Carlino . Check out our conversation below.
Federica Alice , we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
In 2018 I started writing the script for my thesis film at the New York Film Academy in Burbank and that is when The Monster’s Club was born. From the very beginning I knew this film was not meant to be just a short or a simple proof of concept. It carried something deeper, a story that felt too powerful and too personal to be contained in a few minutes of screen time. Over the years it kept evolving, and what began as my thesis film is now a complete book that tells the entire first season. The Monster’s Club is available on Amazon, and my goal is to turn it into a full TV series. Those who know me and read this book can easily recognize how much of my personal life and emotions I poured into it. That is what once scared me, but I have learned to embrace it, because this is a story I truly want to tell.
As of now I shot a proof of concept before the pandemic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT5qSQrYV0g&t=212s which went on to win multiple awards at film festivals around the world. Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Benjamin Armstrong, who has officially joined the project as Jackson.
Benjamin is an incredibly talented actor known for his emotional depth, authenticity, and ability to convey vulnerability beneath strength. Jackson represents a completely different kind of role for him, allowing Benjamin to explore a more introspective and conflicted character than any he has portrayed before. He expressed genuine excitement about stepping into Jackson’s world and bringing this layered, emotionally charged character to life.
His involvement adds tremendous value to the project, both artistically and professionally, and I’m confident his interpretation will leave a lasting impression on audiences.
follow me @federica.alice.carlino in instagram or the book’s profile @themonstersclubproject
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Federica Alice Carlino and I am an Italian filmmaker, writer, and casting director born in Milan and based in Los Angeles. I studied cinema in Milan, attended the New York Film Academy in Burbank, and continued my training in London at Met Film School and Pinewood Studios. I have worked across Los Angeles, London, Abu Dhabi, and Milan, including experience with Netflix in LA, which helped me grow both creatively and professionally.
My book The Monster’s Club is a coming of age story that blends love, first times, family drama, grief, loss, friendship, blackmail, and betrayal. It follows a group of teenagers whose lives are forever changed by a tragic event that connects their past and present. The story is told through two timelines, one set in 1999 and the other in the present day, slowly revealing how choices made in youth can shape the adults we become.
At the heart of the story are Jackson Sosa, Colin Dawson, and Erik Nielsen, known by his friends as Dumpster. Each of them carries their own pain, secrets, and sense of guilt, and together they form a bond that is as fragile as it is powerful. Their friendship is tested by loss, love, and the consequences of one terrible night that changes everything.
What makes this story special to me is how personal it is. I wrote it from a place of emotion and reflection, inspired by real feelings and human experiences. It explores guilt, forgiveness, and the complicated beauty of growing up. The Monster’s Club is not only a mystery but also a deeply emotional journey about friendship, memory, and redemption. It is a story that I believe would translate powerfully on screen, connecting with audiences who see a part of themselves in these characters.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
What often breaks the bonds between people is silence. It is not always anger or betrayal that creates distance, but the quiet moments where things are left unsaid. Sometimes we hold back what we feel out of fear, pride, or the need to protect ourselves, and that silence slowly becomes a wall. Over time, misunderstandings grow, trust fades, and the connection that once felt unbreakable starts to disappear. Distance on its own does not destroy relationships — it is the lack of honesty and communication that does.
What restores those bonds is vulnerability. It is the courage to open up even when it feels uncomfortable, to speak with honesty instead of fear, to listen instead of defend. Forgiveness plays a huge part in it too, not because it erases what happened, but because it allows people to move forward. In The Monster’s Club, my characters face this very struggle, how to repair something that has been damaged by guilt, grief, and the weight of time. They learn that healing does not come from pretending everything is fine, but from finally facing what went wrong and choosing to reconnect.
I believe the most powerful thing we can do for one another is to stay when it would be easier to walk away. When people choose empathy over ego, communication over silence, that is when real bonds begin to heal, and sometimes, even become stronger than before.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, during COVID I almost gave up. It was one of the hardest times in my life, both personally and professionally. The world felt uncertain, film productions were stopped, and everything I had worked so hard for seemed to be on pause. I was far from many of the people I cared about, and for a while, it felt like the creative world had gone silent.
But in that silence, something shifted. I realized that giving up was not an option, because storytelling is what keeps me grounded. During that time, I created Morgana Film Festival, an online festival meant to give independent filmmakers a space to be seen and celebrated when everything else was shut down. That project reminded me why I started to support creativity, to build community, and to give stories a voice.
Looking back, COVID tested my strength more than anything else, but it also made me rediscover my purpose. It taught me resilience, patience, and the importance of creating even in uncertainty.
But that time also became a turning point. In the middle of that stillness, I started to create the series bible for The Monster’s Club. I took what began as my thesis film and started shaping it into something much larger, imagining every detail of the world, the characters, and the episodes. That process gave me purpose again. It reminded me why I tell stories to connect, to heal, and to keep hope alive when everything else feels uncertain.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
A cultural value I protect at all costs is authenticity. I grew up in Italy, surrounded by art, storytelling, and emotion, and I have carried that sense of honesty and depth into everything I do. For me, authenticity means staying true to who you are, where you come from, and what you believe in, even when the world tries to shape you differently.
When I had just turned three, my family moved to the Netherlands for a few years because of my father’s job. We traveled a lot during that time, and I was exposed to different cultures and ways of life from a very young age. Living in the Netherlands taught me about their folklore stories, their sense of community, and how traditions can connect people. Later we moved to London, in 2006, and I discovered that in London people were not afraid to express themselves`; their art and their individuality, and all that freedom inspired me to do the same. I began expressing myself through my clothes, my hair, and my accessories, and I realized that creativity is not only in what you make but also in how you live.
In 2016, I began studying in Los Angeles and discovered another world entirely. For three years I immersed myself in filmmaking, surrounded by artists and storytellers from all over the world. I also worked in Abu Dhabi for three years, where I learned how powerful collaboration can be when different cultures come together.
Each place I have lived has shaped a different part of me, strengthening my belief that authenticity connects people more than anything else.
In filmmaking and writing, I always aim to represent emotions and people in their real form, not filtered or idealized. I believe audiences connect with truth, even when it is uncomfortable. Whether I am directing, writing, or casting, I protect that value because it is the foundation of meaningful storytelling. Authenticity is what makes art timeless, and it is what allows people to truly see themselves in your work.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I write, whether it is a script or, in this case, my book. Writing gives me a sense of calm that nothing else does. When I was developing The Monster’s Club, I spent a lot of time in coffee shops around Burbank, surrounded by the quiet buzz of life while building an entire world on the page. Those moments became part of my creative ritual, a space where time seemed to slow down.
When I write, I lose myself completely. I travel into my story and discover my characters as if I were meeting real people. I learn how they talk, how they move, what they listen to, and what they keep hidden. Ideas come naturally, like they already exist and are simply waiting for me to find them.
Writing connects me to something peaceful and powerful at the same time, it is where I feel most alive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/federica.alice.carlino
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/federica.alice.carlino/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/federica-alice-carlino-20443288/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@federica.alice.carlino
Image Credits
none credits the pictures are mine
