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Michael Merino is an international award-winning writer-director of elevated contained paranoia thrillers. He began working on sets as a P.A. and over his early career has worked in various departments; Art, Camera, Electric, Grip, Hair & Make-Up, Wardrobe, Sound, Props, Catering and Construction. In addition, Merino also worked in post as an Editor before eventually focusing on Directing, Producing and Writing.
Merino grew up in Washington, D.C. the son of an Irish-Brit-German mother and a father who migrated to the United States from Mexico of Spanish-Basque-Sephardic descent. Having grown up in such a diverse home, Michael speaks three languages and has a wide appreciation and understanding of the world beyond the confines of the Americas. After college, Michael put his Spanish to use and worked for a few surreptitious agencies before pivoting and traveling the globe for next six years, living and working abroad. His adventures included the running of the bulls in Spain, and being caught and detained during a coup in Fiji. During his travels he held an assortment of jobs, including short order cook, ladies shoe salesmen, carpenter, bartender, pizza maker, door to door salesman, house painter, and home contractor. In addition to his university studies, Michael is a former practitioner of American Kenpo earning his blue belt before an injury sidelined him. In addition, Michael is a quondam member of the NYSBA (New York State Bar Association), has worked as a stringer with MSNBC, CNN, Turkish TV and Fox News. When Michael was sidelined by a diving accident, during his convalescence he decided to turn his focus back to the arts, attending Rockport's International Film School and The Corcoran School of Art.
Michael directed his first feature, the award-winning action film The Deal, in 2003. In 2006, Michael released the horror feature The Milkman followed by the thriller 502, which won the coveted Shakes Award at the Dead Time Film Festival. Michael followed up with the critically acclaimed Our Last Supper. He also won Best Director and Best Screenplay for his short films Times Up and Dream On at the WMIFF. Michael was recognized for his regional commercial and training video work from 2013-2017. In 2016, he produced, wrote, and directed the web series DRAKUL, released in 2017. In 2019 Michael wrote and Directed the action/thriller ACCELERATION (BEST DIRECTOR-NIAFFS Spain 2020) starring Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Chuck Liddell, and Sean Patrick Flanery.
Merino's latest film CLUTCH (2025) has been nominated and won over a dozen awards worldwide for Best Director, Best Film, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor, and Best Independent film at the 2025 IFS / L.A. Film Festival. Michael divides time between Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. He absolutely adores all dogs and is known to be a cheeky Pirate.
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