About

Wilson Santos is the epitome of a creative soul with an academic mind and an entrepreneurial heart. He earned both his BA and MA in English at Montclair State University in New Jersey, where he concentrated on American Literature with an emphasis on Film Studies. In 1994, he completed the Filmmaking Intensive summer program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and studied American Literature at Kingston University in England.

As an academic, Santos worked as an Associate Course Director of English Composition at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida from 2012 until 2019. He also taught for two years in the first-year writing program at Montclair State University in New Jersey and in 2012, was the Arts and Literature Programming Director at the North Bergen Free Public Library in New Jersey, where he coordinated and moderated monthly literary readings and open mic nights, as well as film screenings and discussions. He worked as a Graduate Assistance in the Film Studies program at Montclair State University from 2009 until 2011.

As a screenwriter, Santos has optioned two original feature length screenplays. The first, titled “Love & Ecstasy,” was optioned to Swiss independent filmmaker, Tomi Streiff.  The second, titled “The Navy Yard,” was optioned to Albert Xavier of Infinity Features.

As a filmmaker, his short documentary film, “My Verse” was screened at various international film festivals, including the 2015 Florida Film Festival. In February 2014, the film won first prize at the FilmSlam short festival at the Enzian Theater in Florida. Learn more about the project here: https://seemyverse.wordpress.com.

As a poet and music producer, Santos’ original spoken word dance projects were released on various record labels, including Defected Records, Subliminal, Stealth, Ultra and One Step Beyond Records.

As a graphic designer, he has worked on creating and producing projects for national and international museum exhibits, federal visitor centers, trade shows and a host of corporate clients since 1994.  In 2007, Santos conceived, designed and launched RevoBaby, a “revolutionary” baby t-shirt line. Today, he continues to work as a freelance graphic designer.

As an entrepreneur, Santos opened Vinyl Arts Bar in Orlando, FL in 2015 and sold it for profit in 2020.  The focus of the venue was on arts based programming, hosting monthly art exhibits, poetry readings and open mic events, film screenings, live music, vinyl record themed nights, DJ dance nights and much more. Over the course of 5 years, Santos converted the bar into a full service restaurant with a full liquor license before it was sold.