Michael Merlino
Directing
Michael Merlino is a Chicago-born, Los Angeles-based actor & filmmaker who specializes in directing, editing, VFX, music production, and sound design. His work has earned a $10K national film grant, won awards from Chicago International Film Festival’s CineYouth and Artlist’s Creative Competition, and premiered at NFFTY with recognition from the Academy Award®-qualifying Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival.
With nearly a decade of experience in post-production, Michael has worked with brands like Google and Artlist.io, and composed original scores for films that have screened at festivals nationwide.
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Drawing from his Filipino heritage, his work blends diverse perspectives, dark humor, and Gen Z anxieties around authoritarian power—institutions, corporations, systems—while staying focused on emotionally-driven, visually-kinetic filmmaking.
Michael is currently acting in narrative films, crafting visual effects for indie projects, and writing his debut feature, PINPOINT.
Known for
Behind the camera6
- 2026Starry Eyed Director, Writer, Editor, Visual Effects, Music
- 2025PINPOINT Director, Writer, Editor, Producer, Visual Effects, Music
- 2025Sugar, Sorry Script Editor, Producer, Editor, VFX Artist, Colorist, Music
- 2022Wuxing Warriors: An Asian-American Epic Visual Effects
- 2022Ping.Pong. Director, Writer, Editor, Story
- TBAMotel Aphrodite VFX Artist
Acting4
- 2026Starry Eyed
- 2025PINPOINT
- 2025