Jim Picariello

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Jim Picariello is a Brooklyn-based screenwriter, filmmaker, and cult-education advocate. His dark romantic comedy The Cult of Us—currently in development—was a Quarter-Finalist in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship and a Coverfly Top 1% project. His animated feature, Igor and Frankie, also ranked in the top tier of the Nicholl Fellowship and was in the Top 20 family screenplays on Coverfly.

Jim’s award-winning short films include This Time It’s Shopping, produced for $100 and selected by 18 festivals, and Passive Aggressive Dads, which screened at over 25 festivals—including Sedona, Nantucket, and BFI London Film Festival—and won multiple awards, including Best Comedy at the Beaufort International Film Festival. His work has also led to a collaboration with Sesame Street, where he directed a short film segment.

As a former cult member under Frederick Lenz, "A.K.A. Rama" (he's fine, by the way), Jim writes with a unique perspective on unhealthy motivation, self-deception, and characters who find themselves stuck between worlds and need to be shaken up a bit.

Jim has spent decades speaking publicly about coercive control and recovery. He now runs Freedom of Mind Resource Center, founded by cult expert Steven Hassan, supporting individuals and families affected by cultic influence.

Honors & Awards

Quarterfinalist, Nicholl Fellowship - THE CULT OF US - 2015

Semifinalist, Austin Film Festival - IGOR AND FRANKIE - 2019

Semifinalist, Austin Film Festival - LOVE PSYCHO - 2025

THE CULT OF US

Dark Rom-Com Feature - The Manchurian Candidate meets (500) Days of Summer Meets Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

A celibate Buddhist mystic and his wildly promiscuous roommate fall in love as they race to save each other from their respective cults.

IGOR AND FRANKIE

Family Animated Feature - Monsters University meets Real Genius

Chaos abounds at MIT when Igor creates a serum that brings stuffed animals to life. When the formula's stolen, she teams up with Frankie, her manic inventor roommate-from-hell, to steal it back and subdue a rampaging, fluffy abomination.

LOVE PSYCHO

Dark Comedy Half-Hour Pilot - Dexter meets Sex in the City

Logline: When a relationship influencer discovers that all of her past boyfriends are serial killers, the FBI shows up to offer her a job: Go out into the world -- and fall in love.