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BIOGRAPHY

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MARISA MERKL

Marisa has been storytelling professionally and passionately for 22 years through filmmaking, design, art direction and writing. She's drawn to universal themes of existence and loves to tap into the empathic sides of an audience.

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Her directorial debut, "You Can Go Now", wrapped its' film festival run with nine nominations and awards and is distributed via ibex. In 2020, she wrote and directed a pandemic short, " 'Da Pandemic of '82" ... because who wouldn't want to know what it was like to live through a pandemic in the 80's?

 

She is currently in development with a feature length character-drama, "Birds of a Feather"When a blue collar loner takes in a young girl facing foster care, he must peel back the layers of his own childhood trauma in order to save her from the same fate. 

 

Additionally, a previous feature script, "Rowdy Girl", is in a re-write stage — a story inspired by the country's first cattle ranch to convert to a farmed animal sanctuary, and a town who changes their outlook because of it.

FILMOGRAPHY

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'DA PANDEMIC OF '82
October 2020  |  6:25

Watch this film on YouTube

 

Pandemic-era times are tough, no matter your perspective. Da Pandemic of '82 was born from the need for us all enjoy something that is relatable, but through a 'blast from the past' lens.

In pre-video chat times, how would we connect during a pandemic? Leave it to Kelly and Susan, aka 'Kel and 'Sooz, two sisters from Northern Minnesota. They meet once a week in an abandoned parking lot to have a chat from their car windows. Let your funny bone get a tickle and your heart feel fuzzy with this homage to human connection.

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YOU CAN GO NOW
September 2019  |  14:26

Watch this film on Vimeo.

It is also streaming on iBex as it has wrapped up its festival run in 2021.

This film is a directorial debut. You Can Go Now explores the depths of our emotions during moments of shock, when we hear a piece of tragic news. Symbolism winds through the story as we follow the very quiet journey of one such person headed home to face the inevitable. This film aims to connect to and validate those who have been through such experiences, and feel alone. It hopes to also give those without such perspective a greater sense of empathy and relatability.

Red Wall & Stairs

 

BENDFILM FESTIVAL

2020 OFFICIAL SELECTION

In 2019, Movie Maker Magazine called BendFilm Festival one of the Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the world.

GEORGE LINDSEY 
UNA 
FESTIVAL

2020 VANGUARD AWARD

Given to the top nominated experiemental film of the festival.

WRPN

WOMEN'S

INT'L

FESTIVAL

2020 EXCELLENCE AWARD

An award for short film top category quality and excellence.

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