Baker Artist Portfolios

2025/2026 Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund Fellow
Zachary Michel is a filmmaker and actor. He aspires to engage his gifts as a visionary creative in order to explore and create captivating stories. He founded The Filmmaker Playground with support of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The Filmmaker Program (TFP) is designed to connect Maryland filmmakers to established industry professionals from around the world so they can develop and sustain lifelong film careers in Maryland. He is also the co-founder and director of the Charm City Fringe theater festival.

He acted and worked on set for Maryland short films and theater productions for the past decade. As a producer of Baltimore's fringe theater festival, Michel brought attention to underrepresented groups and helped bring new stories and perspectives to audiences. His passion for film was reignited while taking classes at Baltimore Improv Group (BIG). He collaborates with new voices in Maryland whenever possible. His short film “He’s a Big Boy Now” cast Baltimore native rapper and actor Dapper Dan Midas in a story capturing the challenges of a neurodivergent life and arrested development. His mission is to employ his talents as a filmmaker to highlight themes and tell stories through film while continuing to develop his body of work as an actor, writer, and director.