As the most provocative film yet to come out of director Eric Byler's “anti-romance” trilogy, TRE explores love, fidelity and desire among a group of friends, with its sobering tone evoking memories of Byler's first film, the much-lauded 2002 independent hit CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES.
Actress Kimberly Rose-Walter (and co-writer of the screenplay) returns as Kakela, the Hapa character last seen in CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES. An aspiring screenwriter, Kakela happily lives with fiancee-to-be Gabe (Erik McDowell) in a California loft. Their home is used as a temporary refuge by Kakela's friend Nina (Alix Koromzay), a married woman whose husband has recently cheated on her, and Tre (Daniel Cariaga), Gabe's acidic-tongued best friend who’s been recently dumped. The two romantically-jaded houseguests quickly jump into a sexual affair, raising eyebrows around the house.

Kakela's dislike for Tre, with his caustic wit, freeloading habits and open distaste for social institutions like marriage, initially pits him as her rival. But a strong attraction eventually develops between them when Tre proposes a series of experiments testing Kakela’s loyalty to Gabe, and which, in turn, lead to an irreversible, startling chain of events that pushes the limits of friendship and trust.

Filmed in the gorgeous hills of Calabasas, CA and scored to a haunting composition by Michael Brook, TRE examines relationships at their messiest, and the frailties of human behavior. In so doing, it asks, how well do we really know ourselves and those we love?
Official Selection of the 25th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, Special Jury Award Winner

Director bio: Filmmaker Eric Byler is a biracial Asian American who grew up in California, Virginia and Hawaii but who has close ties to Northern Virginia. His debut feature film, the critically-acclaimed CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES, garnered two Independent Spirit Award nominations while his second feature, AMERICANESE (2006 DC APA FIlm Festival Opening Night), was acquired for theatrical release by IFC Films. Through his work in political activism, Byler has made several YouTube documentaries, including one which chronicled Virginian Democrat Jim Webb's successful 2006 bid for a U.S. Senate seat.