A native to Los Angeles, Mike Mendez was in the backyard making movies since the age of 10. At the age of 23, Mike made his first feature film "Killers," which was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival in 1997. The film was picked up by Alpine Pictures, who distributed the feature in the U.S. The film also received a worldwide theatrical release.

He followed that up with the horror comedy "The Convent," which was also accepted into the Sundance Film Festival in 2000, as well as over 30 other film festivals worldwide. The film was released by Lionsgate in the U.S.