“PINPOINT” by Michael Merlino
Driven by an unruly professor and an unusual fascination with anatomy, Wolfe, a struggling med student, races to become top of his class alongside drug-coping classmates.
FROM THE DIRECTOR
“PINPOINT initially came from my reaction to America's intertwined issues: the fractured education system, the opioid epidemic, and the mental health crisis, especially how it’s affecting disturbed young men in very dangerous ways. I wanted to highlight these problems through a gritty, frenetic, and often claustrophobic lens.
At its heart, the film illustrates how institutions may indirectly neglect immoral behavior and the personal well-being of their students, so long as those students continue to breed “success.” This tension was partly inspired by my own educational experiences navigating flawed academic systems that often prioritize achievement over integrity and well-being.
To me, PINPOINT evokes a sense of anxiety and urgency through its visual style – marked by subjectivity, macro close-ups, high contrast, and a color palette of greens, teals, and exhausting yellows. These choices capture the intensity and magnified importance of Wolfe's point of view, representing his unnerving fixation on the seemingly insignificant. At first, Wolfe’s journey reflects the pressures faced by many students today: isolation, ambition, and misinformation, following a path overlooked by apathetic authority figures. The film then asks the question: What occurs when an impulsive, dangerous curiosity pairs with a severe lack of institutional support?
The opioid epidemic is woven into the narrative through the lives of Wolfe’s classmates, who turn to substances like heroin and fentanyl to cope with overwhelming academic stress. Their addiction is mirrored in Wolfe’s own descent into obsession, partially fueled by similar pressures – and often ending in systematic triumphs.”
-Michael Merlino
CREDITS
Writer, Director, Editor/ Michael Merlino
Producers
Hannah Ignacio
Michael Merlino
Production Manager// Cassidy Winston
Director of Photography Hannah Ignacio
1st Asst. Camera// Luke Venegas
2nd Asst. Camera// Rainier Dela Cruz
2nd Asst. Camera// Gabrielle Dacuycuy
2nd Asst. Camera// Mishka Witkin
Production Sound// Jonah Fiden
Production Sound// Hannah Vrbancic
Production Assistants// Mishka Witkin
Production Assistants// Rainier Dela Cruz
Production Assistants// Anna Katz
Still Photography
Luis Rocha
Brandon Rocha
Rainier Dela Cruz
Visual Effects and Original Score// Michael Merlino
CAST
Michael Merlino
Pete Berwick
Luke Venegas
Hannah Ignacio
Sara Vianna
Brian McCreadie
Ken Merlino
Rose Merlino
Edwin Ignacio
EXTRAS
Brandon Rocha
Luis Rocha
Nicole Sobkowiak
Maja Keska
Sara Vianna
Ally Polly
Cassidy Winston
Rainier Dela Cruz
Mishka Witkin
Gabrielle Dacuycuy
Anna Katz
America Larios
Daniel Zhang
Diego Placencia
Qun Chi
Kyle Varela
THANKS
Fire Escape Films
The University of Chicago
KJF Properties
Merlino Family
Ignacio Family
Nicholas Hostert
Fran Casillas
Robbie Hall
Chris Pagnozzi
Luke Venegas
Carla Correa
Anna Katz
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