Daniel Merino Villavicencio is a Cuban and Ecuadorian writer and filmmaker, born and raised in the cultural melting pot of Queens, New York. Obsessed with all things geek; Fantasy, Anime, Video Games, etc., He grew up an outsider, and thus enjoys telling stories that highlight second chances, underdogs, and overlooked characters with stories begging to be told.

 

He studied Film and television at St. John’s University, and his graduate thesis film, “Sweet Pea & Glass”, a stylized animation/live-action hybrid, won him the Festival of Cinema NYC's Audience Choice Award for best short film.

His most recent festival film “The Super” earned him a spot among the 2025 cohort of "Tomorrow's Filmmakers Today" in Los Angeles.

 

He has directed and produced over twenty short films, with twelve of those films being made in the last year. He believes the craft of filmmaking should be practiced as often as possible with lessons learned from each project elevating the next.