"I want to tell the stories that need to be told, that provoke real human emotion and real global change. I seek to be an instrument of change, and I believe that through film we can accomplish great things. We can provide visibility and representation to those in minority groups, to the LGBTQ community, especially people of color in the LGBTQ community. I want to tell stories to help end the stigma that surrounds mental health. If a film can get even just one person to take a step back from the ledge, to put down the knife, or the gun, or whatever, then it might just be a film worth making." ~ Marlo Abril-Viriña
Marlo Abril-Viriña (they/he) is an Asian-American writer and producer based in Chicago, IL whose work primarily focuses on mental health and the queer Asian-American experience. Marlo is the writer, director, and executive producer of the ManicMan! Pilot. Marlo first gained experience on countless other projects, working as the production coordinator on The Class starring Anthony Michael Hall as well as working as a production assistant on Showtime’s Work In Progress, Apple TV+’s Ripple Effects, and NBCUniversal’s Chicago PD amongst others. Marlo was later accepted into OTV’s 2021 fellowship program. Outside of film, Marlo is a dedicated photographer, baker, and activist passionate about ending the stigma that surrounds mental illness, providing equal representation to queer people of color in front of as well as behind the camera, and advocating for social equity surrounding the cannabis industry in the United States and across the globe.
Marlo Abril-Viriña on the set of 'ManicMan!' (2022)