Filmmakers Serving the Gila Valley
Have You Heard About Our Film Festival?
Held each year in April, the Gila Valley Film Festival proudly screens shorts and features made by budget filmmakers. Last year we showed over 30 films from all over the world. If you’re a filmmaker, we’d love to see you films. If you live in the Gila Valley, we’d love to have you come to the festival!
31 Murals
In Production Now
A feature-length documentary about a muralist who uses his skills to revitalize his rural community.
Henchmen
In Production Now
A feature-length movie about two friends who hide from the mob in a small border town in Arizona.
Ace of Hearts
Ace of Hearts is our first feature film. It tells the story of two sons as they try to solve their father’s murder. You stream it on Tubi for free. If you love it, you can also buy it on Blu-Ray or DVD.
If you do watch Ace of Hearts, please leave a review of the movie on iMDB. Thank you!
About Us
When we aren’t working or spending time with family, we like to make movies.
We met when we were 13 or 14 and became fast friends. We spent high school making short action films. When we grew up, we decided to get serious about it.
In 2016, we started our first YouTube channel. A few years later we decided to take it a little more seriously and we formed our company, Carpe and Zen Productions. Our name is a combination of our last names “Carpe” from Joseph Carpenter and “Zen” from Jacob Lauritzen.
In 2020, we started filming our first feature film, Ace of Hearts. We premiered it at the Safford Center for the Arts in 2021. You can now buy it on Amazon or stream it on Tubi.
We have a lot of other projects in the works–our film festival, more features, and at least one secret project. Hopefully we can share more with you soon.
–Jacob and Joseph