Merlin Senthil

Merlin Senthil is a screenwriter, director, and producer known for his original fantasy stories, often inspired by Indian folklore, as well as being a champion for mature, authentic religious content. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and started out on YouTube in 2014, producing hundreds of videos for MJN TV. He graduated from Biola University and went on to write and direct award-nominated short films, such as "Tipsters," "Virtually The Same," and "The Cheerful Giver." Post college, he wrote and edited hundreds of videos for top YouTubers while developing films like "Past Hurt" (a short about an abusive pastor and church hurt) and original fantasy series like "Grand Jesters" and "Shifting Shadows." In 2024, he began releasing written projects on Substack and announcing his novel "Dear to Saturn" while shopping around what he called his "favorite story" he "ever wrote" called "Crown Jewels." In 2025, he announced he and his wife, Katie, were expecting their first child. An advocate of his faith and the "character development in his own story," Merlin has been very open about his struggles breaking into the film industry and a healthy work/family balance. "It's not just about moving pictures. It's about pictures moving us," he has said. "And the pictures that move me most are not the ones I have come up with," (referencing his faith, wife, and friends). Something he also has said is: "I have my head in the clouds, my feet on the ground, and my heart somewhere in between."