Set in Baltimore in the 1980s, Counterfeit Kids is told through Nic, an eighteen year old who finds friendship and refuge with her foster brother Jude. Jude is a gifted artist and a counterfeiter. Instead of nurturing his talent, his foster parents Trisha and Jerry mock him, calling him Rain Man and inbred.

Nic is trapped between her toxic mother Trisha and Trisha’s sleazy boyfriend, Jerry. Trisha constantly reminds Nic that she cared for her during Nic’s childhood leukemia. That sacrifice hangs over everything. Trisha tells her, “remember who loves you.”

Nic is forced to work at the family restaurant, Jerry’s Big Ones. A hot dog stand staffed by girls in short shorts and high heels. It is the best gimmick in Charm City. It is also humiliating.

Nic and Jude counterfeit money. They pass the bills through vending machines, flea markets, and small businesses, including Jerry’s Big Ones. When Trisha and Jerry discover the counterfeit equipment and fall for Jude’s trap, the house erupts. Nic is forced to make a choice.

Director Biography - James Sclafani

James Sclafani began his career after a script he submitted to New Line Cinema led to representation.

He later partnered with Linda Cardellini, and together they sold a television pilot to John Wells Productions and set up a separate TV pitch at FX.

Sclafani went on to write King of Counterfeit, which was purchased by Bill Murray. Murray later approved Sclafani directing the short film Counterfeit Kids, set in the world of the feature project.

He continues to write and direct character-driven stories.

Director Statement

Director Statement

I grew up in an Italian American family with law abiding, educated parents. But there were always whispers about relatives who had been involved in the underworld. It was never talked about openly. It felt secretive. Almost subterranean.

At Georgetown University, I became interested in journalism and criminology. I began looking into relatives involved in crimes ranging from bootlegging to loan sharking to counterfeiting. What drew me in was not just the crimes, but the subculture and the circumstances that led them there.

I realized many criminals, even the legendary ones, come from dysfunctional families. Many have unaddressed learning disabilities or personality disorders. Most never have their talents nurtured. My great uncle was a brilliant artist, yet he became a counterfeiter. I often wondered how different his life might have been with the right opportunities.

I later interviewed people on the periphery of the underworld. Their stories were human and complex, rarely reflected in popular culture. That became the inspiration for Counterfeit Kids.

The film follows Nic and Jude, foster siblings growing up in a dysfunctional household. In their gang of two, they find love and safety in a world that feels hostile. Their counterfeiting feels small compared to the corruption they see in corporations and government. The law is not a moral compass for them. It is a tool.

When Bill Murray bought my feature King of Counterfeit, he told me the line that captured him was, “Bad people can do good things in this life and get by, but good people who do bad things can never last.” That idea sits at the core of Nic and Jude. They are good at heart.

Nic and Jude, like many of us, want a good life. They take shortcuts because they come from poverty. When they finally reach what they believe is the good life, they discover there is nothing there that feels good. Ill gotten gains do not bring satisfaction. They expose the emptiness underneath.

We are all tempted by shortcuts. To cheat. To justify our actions because the system is unfair. That impulse built organized crime. It rests on the belief that the ends justify the means. What keeps most of us from going in that direction is not fear of the law. It is love. It is example. It is an internal compass that keeps us steady.

Nic and Jude do not have that compass.

They are not bad.

They are unmoored.