Michael Merlino (Directing)

I am a twenty-year-old filmmaker based in Chicago, Illinois. For as long as I can remember, I have loved filmmaking. I have been writing, directing, and acting in videos and short films since my pre-teen years. This interest grew into a serious passion and led to producing, directing, filming, and editing a catalogue of thoughtful, award-winning independent short and featurette films. I have been blessed with awards, recognition, and accolades from The Bahlsen National Student Film Competition, All-American High School Film Festival, and The Illinois High School Art Exhibition, to name a few. Since 2020, I've been enrolled in DePaul University, under their Film & Television major, concentrating in directing. At DePaul, I’ve written/directed/acted/and edited a fifty-minute drama featurette (created during the pandemic), acted in a series of graduate student works, and directed two additional collaborative projects during my most recent (2021-22) winter break. I am a student of the craft━I jump at...Read More