Erik Mueller Wins Accolade Competition: Maryland Actor/Director Wins Award For Wall Geek Comedy Pilot

CHEVY CHASE, Md., Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Actor/director Erik Mueller has won a prestigious Award of Merit from The Accolade Competition. Mueller received the award for his hilarious single-camera comedy pilot Wall Geek about geeks with PhDs trying to make a mint while being socially responsible⎯not an easy balance in the cutthroat world of Wall Street. Mueller wrote, directed, and acted in the 22-minute pilot. The thriving Maryland film industry made it possible for Mueller to successfully draw on local talent. The pilot features exceptional acting by Tara Garwood (Veep, Game Change) and Michael Gabel (The Wire), and outstanding cinematography by Romel Punsal (Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II) and Bryan Tosh. Wall Geek was one of two awards given in the category "pilot program/series."

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120912/PH72763 )

"I'm so thrilled to receive this award, and so proud of my talented cast and crew: Tara Garwood, Michael Gabel, Romel Punsal, and Bryan Tosh," said Mueller. "It was thanks to their hard work and creativity that we were able to produce such a compelling pilot episode about the esoteric world of Wall Street black box trading. I can't wait to produce more episodes!"

The Accolade recognizes film, television, videography, and new media professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change. Entries are judged by highly qualified professionals in the film and television industry. Information about the Accolade and a list of recent winners can be found at www.theaccolade.net.

In winning an Accolade, Erik Mueller joins the ranks of other high-profile winners of this internationally respected award. Thomas Baker, Ph.D., who chairs The Accolade, had this to say about the latest winners, "The Accolade is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world. The Accolade helps set the standard for craft and creativity. The judges were pleased with the exceptionally high quality of entries. The goal of The Accolade is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve."

This is the third award Wall Geek has received. Wall Geek also won two awards at the 2012 Los Angeles Web Series Festival. For more information, visit Erik Mueller's website at http://erikmueller.me or follow Erik at http://www.facebook.com/ErikMuellerFanPage.

About Wall Geek

Wall Geek is a single-camera sitcom created by Erik Mueller. It features Erik Mueller, Tara Garwood, and Michael Gabel. Mueller plays Daniel, a naive quantitative analyst confounded by the antics of his eccentric colleagues and scheming wife. The show also stars Tara Garwood as Daniel's zany New Age coworker and Michael Gabel as his slick boss. Mueller based the half-hour single-camera comedy show on his experiences as a Wall Street trader. The Wall Geek pilot is streaming at wallgeek.com. Follow Wall Geek at http://www.facebook.com/wallgeek.

About Erik Mueller

The son of an artist and a dancer, Erik Mueller grew up surrounded by creative people in a New Jersey art colony. As a small child, he started making and acting in his own movies and convinced all his friends to join in. Wall Geek is his most recent project. Erik's character, Daniel, is a geeky quantitative analyst on Wall Street. The show was inspired by a job Erik had in a New York City investment bank after he graduated from MIT and UCLA with degrees in computer science.

Not surprisingly, Erik has played a lot of geeky roles. In theater, these have included a guy who's convinced he's a comic book action hero in Superhero, a clueless and clumsy young apprentice in Laughing Stock, a newly minted PhD whose job interview spins out of control in Reverse Psychology, and Scrooge's nephew Fred in A Christmas Carol. In film, he's been cast as a nerdy burglar in The Golden Plate and a baffled husband in Valerie's Last Hug.

Erik's creative energy also extends to composing jazz music. He wrote the original background music for Wall Geek.

Erik is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors' Equity Association.

Follow Erik at http://www.facebook.com/ErikMuellerFanPage and http://twitter.com/ErikMueller1.

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SOURCE Erik Mueller