Michael Manese
New York based filmmaker MM is excited to present his latest short film as writer and director “The Pleasure of Being Served.” The Philippine-born artist is married and lives in New York City. Aside from writing and directing films, he is also a Black Belt in Karate and plays bass in a band. Visit Press Clippings.
In September 2020 he became the recipient of Inwood Art Works Film Grant. The grant will be used to make his next film: "Asian PersuAsian."
Artist Statement:
"I love dark humor and irony. Everyone started out as cute babies. No matter how ugly, how unlikeable or mean my characters are I try to bring out the goodness in them. In my last three films my lead characters, on paper, are not likable characters. It is up to me, as the director to rise up to challenge to make them likable to the audience, or at least interesting enough for them to follow."
Filmmaking Highlights, as writer, director, producer, editor:
"I like mainstream, Hollywood movies with an edge. My goal is to make movies that are thought provoking, daring, and experimental that can also reach a wide audience. Movies such as ‘Carnal Knowledge,’ ‘Pulp Fiction,’ ‘Annie Hall,’ and ‘Last Tango in Paris’ are, to me, just a few examples of this formula.”
IMDB: http://www.imdb.me/michaelmanese
Other films as writer/director/editor:
New York based filmmaker MM is excited to present his latest short film as writer and director “The Pleasure of Being Served.” The Philippine-born artist is married and lives in New York City. Aside from writing and directing films, he is also a Black Belt in Karate and plays bass in a band. Visit Press Clippings.
In September 2020 he became the recipient of Inwood Art Works Film Grant. The grant will be used to make his next film: "Asian PersuAsian."
Artist Statement:
"I love dark humor and irony. Everyone started out as cute babies. No matter how ugly, how unlikeable or mean my characters are I try to bring out the goodness in them. In my last three films my lead characters, on paper, are not likable characters. It is up to me, as the director to rise up to challenge to make them likable to the audience, or at least interesting enough for them to follow."
Filmmaking Highlights, as writer, director, producer, editor:
- The Pleasure of Being Served - (15 minutes, in English and Tagalog, nudity): A cleaning woman from the Philippines works for a rich, young American bachelor and gets caught up with his mistresses.
- Maxine (20 minutes, black and white, experimental): Told in flashbacks and show in multi-screens, a man has memories about a break up with his girlfriend.
- When bart6874 met lulu5547 (7 minutes, silent, black and white) - Two lonely senior citizens try online dating.
- Rutgers University Graduate (Communications /Film and Video Production)
- Herald, Sigma Pi Fraternity, Gamma Eta Chapter
- Staff Photographer, Daily Targum
- His screenplay "Talk Show" was staged at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe's Fifth Night Scriptreading series in March which led to a series of script reading jobs for companies such as Apostle Pictures, Foxboro and New Line Cinema.
"I like mainstream, Hollywood movies with an edge. My goal is to make movies that are thought provoking, daring, and experimental that can also reach a wide audience. Movies such as ‘Carnal Knowledge,’ ‘Pulp Fiction,’ ‘Annie Hall,’ and ‘Last Tango in Paris’ are, to me, just a few examples of this formula.”
IMDB: http://www.imdb.me/michaelmanese
Other films as writer/director/editor:
- "Open House" (2011 - color, 11 minutes, dark comedy) - A shady realtor tries to pass off a haunted apartment.
- "She" (2006 - color, 11 minutes, dark comedy) Murder at a karaoke party! DVD only
- "An Open Position" (2001 - b/w, 20 minutes, comedy/drama) - An office love triangle that spans a 9-5 work day. DVD only
- "Whiskers" (student film - claymation, a giant mouse invades a castle)
- "Showered" (student film - animation, a lovely walk on the beach)
- "Ritual" (student film - experimental short about couple's foot massage routine)
- "Dinner with Matt" (student film - an experimental short about food and loneliness)
MAKILALA TV INTERVIEW
PRESS - online magazine articles and interviews
Visit Press Clipping for PDFs of stories about my filmmaking.