Michael Ruiz-Unger

Michael Ruiz-Unger is a filmmaker who grew up immersed in Miami’s underground punk scene, where he began creating short films and music videos. While in college, he interned at Oscilloscope Laboratories, an experience that deepened his passion for filmmaking, particularly directing and editing.

In 2016, he expanded into comic book writing, publishing his sci-fi noir graphic novel, Dark Beach, with Simon and Schuster. The following year, he was selected by CubaOne for a writer’s retreat in Cuba, his parents’ birthplace, led by poet Richard Blanco and author Ruth Behar.

In 2022, with funding from Oolite Arts and Miami Film Festival, he directed Save The Flea, a short film exploring the theme of family. Shot inside an active flea market—a location rarely open to filming—the project earned several awards, including the Audience Award at the Miami Film Festival, the Fantasia Film Festival, the New York Latino Film Festival, the San Diego Comic-Con Film Festival, and Kevin Smith’s Smodcastle Film Festival.

Ruiz-Unger’s goal is to tell thrilling stories rooted in his hometown, shining a light on Miami’s lesser-known facets.