Invisible Collective Adds Director Marvin Lemus to Roster

Jul. 12, 2022

Invisible Collective adds multihyphenate Marvin Lemus to its growing roster. The award-winning director, co-creator, co-showrunner, and executive producer of Netflix’s Peabody Award-nominated hit series Gentified, Lemus brings a well-honed comedic voice and vast short-form experience to Invisible Collective, where founders Mel Jones, Justin Polk, and Stephen Love and Managing Director Tracie Norfleet have been writing a name for themselves - in permanent ink.

Since 2019, Invisible Collective has been relentlessly championing underrepresented, diverse, and overlooked talent, while creating dynamic work that accurately represents and reflects the American and global population. The manifesto is a draw for fellow-minded, future-looking creators such as Marvin Lemus, who made the following statement about the creative studio's mission.

Lemus said:

"It was a no-brainer to me to partner with Invisible because they aren't waiting on the bench to be called to move the needle. Invisible knows who they are and what their existence means in this space. As a filmmaker, I've been able to build a career by unapologetically telling stories that reflect who I am and where I come from, and they are betting on filmmakers who reflect the world we live in. That's an easy mission to get behind, but almost more importantly I wanted to partner with filmmakers that know how to elevate and push boundaries artistically while balancing the intersection of identities we bring to the table without putting us in neat little boxes."

 

Marvin Lemus has never fit into a neat little box. A Mexican and Guatemalan-American born in Bakersfield, California, Lemus' work in digital comedy ranges from the wildly successful digital campaign for the feature film Dear White People, which received over 8 million views to viral videos for brands such as Vogue, Time, Anheuser-Busch, MLB, and Nissan.

Over the years, Lemus has proven his auspicious knack for taking the seed of an idea and making it grow to new heights. After premiering his half-hour digital show Gentified at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, the series was adapted and produced by MACRO Studios and America Ferrera then picked up by Netflix for two seasons. Additionally, Hollywood Reporter listed "The Grapevine," written by Lemus, as one of TV Critics Top 10 Episodes of 2020.

Lemus’ reel is brimming with close to 200 productions which he has written, produced, directed, edited, and/or acted in, having got his start while studying at the Upright Citizen's Brigade. There Lemus met the other founding members of the award-winning sketch group, THE KIDS TABLE (TKT.) Over the course of three years, TKT's social content and topical satires gained virility, and Lemus' success with low-budget videos quickly led to crafting digital content starring actors including Tessa Thompson, Olivia Munn, and Lil’ Rel Howery.

Recognized by peers, mentors, and pillars of the entertainment industry alike, Lemus is an alum of the Sony Diverse Director's Program, Disney/ABC Directors Fellowship, and Film Independent’s Project: Involve. In 2021, Lemus earned a spot on Variety’s Comedy Impact Report alongside humor heavyweights like Dave Chappelle, Sacha Baron Cohen and Bo Burnham.

Lemus' first production with the Invisible team was a Telly Award-winning 60-second spot created for the Washington Department of Health. The comedic ad geared toward the LatinX market encouraged individuals to trust their inner voice of reason and get vaccinated. 

Always keen to experiment, Lemus is interested in exploring moodier, dramedy-leaning narratives in the future. As he continues to play at the intersection of art and commerce with the support of Invisible, while simultaneously developing his first feature film, above all Lemus is steadfast on creating work that is real and authentic.

Lemus concluded:

"I'm excited to create content targeted to the Latine market that doesn't rely solely on featuring any pinatas, low-riders, or salsa music. And Invisible Collective understands why without having to ask. That's pretty freaking dope."

 

Marvin Lemus is represented by UTA for film and TV.