"The Difference between an ordeal and an adventure is your attitude."
- Flyabout [2006]
BIO
A native of Germany, Monika Petrillo wrote, directed and edited the short film Wink which has earned multiple awards during its successful festival run.
Her documentary feature Flyabout premiered at SXSW, was picked up by Halogen TV and continues to inspire people worldwide. Both films can be found on Amazon Prime as well as several other streaming services.
Working shoulder to shoulder with many prestigious directors, including Robert Rodriguez, Richard Linklater and Mike Judge, as an accomplished script supervisor, Monika has been on an internship to direct for her entire professional life. She shadowed Jamie Babbit on Silicon Valley (HBO) and James Ponsoldt on Shrinking (Apple TV+) and Sorry For Your Loss, as well as Robert Rodriguez in the editing room during We Can Be Heroes (Netflix).
Monika grew up in Munich, where being a child actor caused her to fall in love with filmmaking at an early age. Her personal and professional travels have taken her all over the globe. A life-long adventurer, Monika earned her pilot’s license at age 24 and soon thereafter set out to fulfill a dream of flying around Australia.
Monika lives in South Pasadena, CA, with her husband and two children.
“Do more of what makes you happy.”
- Wink [2017]