Mark Aaron Cantu was born on October 4, 1978, in San Antonio, Texas, United States, to parents Arturo and Alicia Cantu. He was raised in San Antonio and later attended Texas State University-San Marcos, majoring in Fine Arts with Secondary Certification.
Before establishing his own film production company, LWF Films, in 2002, Mark worked on numerous short films and stage productions, including roles in "The Odd Couple" and "Glengarry Glen Ross". He spent several years honing his craft, focusing on short films and music video work.
Mark's breakthrough came when he created three award-winning short films for the SA 48 Hr Film Competition: "Saint Passions Landing" (1st Place-2009),"Endgame" (2nd Place-2010),and "Love After" (1st Place-2011). This success led him to focus solely on film work starting in 2009.
In 2012, Mark began preproduction on the superhero romantic comedy NOW HIRING, but the project faced early budgetary issues. LWF Films regrouped and eventually produced the film in 2014, which premiered in Summer 2014 and won several international awards. The film was picked up for worldwide distribution by Indican Pictures.
Mark's next project was the military thriller ELITE, co-written with actor Jason Scarbrough. The film was well-received and picked up for worldwide distribution through Lost Empire Films.
The success of ELITE led to funding for Mark's fourth feature film, NIGHT ZERO, which is set for release on May 22, 2018, through Lost Empire Films. As of 2018, Mark has six more films in preproduction.
Mark currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Elizabeth, and their children.
