Michael Merlino
0.0Directing

Michael Merlino

No birthday available.

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.

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.

Credits

Cast

Media
Movie2022Ping.Pong.Guy
Movie2025PINPOINT
Movie2025Sugar, Sorry"Joe"

Crew

Media
Movie2022Ping.Pong.DirectorDirecting
Movie2022Ping.Pong.WriterWriting
Movie2022Ping.Pong.EditorEditing
Movie2022Ping.Pong.StoryWriting
MovieN/AMother to MotherAssistant DirectorDirecting
Movie2022Wuxing Warriors: An Asian-American EpicVisual EffectsVisual Effects
Movie2025PINPOINTDirectorDirecting
Movie2025PINPOINTWriterWriting
Movie2025PINPOINTEditorEditing
Movie2025PINPOINTProducerProduction
Movie2025PINPOINTVisual EffectsVisual Effects
Movie2025PINPOINTMusicSound
Movie2025Sugar, SorryScript EditorWriting
Movie2025Sugar, SorryProducerProduction
Movie2025Sugar, SorryEditorEditing
Movie2025Sugar, SorryVFX ArtistVisual Effects
Movie2025Sugar, SorryColoristEditing
Movie2025Sugar, SorryMusicSound
MovieN/AMotel AphroditeVFX ArtistVisual Effects