Born in Venezuela and raised in South Florida, Melanie (she/they) is a queer director and filmmaker that merges social impact with poetry and magical realism. They have worked on documentaries, commercials, music videos, and short series– not limited by the medium to create stories that bridge cultures and showcase the power possible in all of us.
Melanie is a Ryan Murphy Half Initiative Mentee, and a two-time Directors Guild of America Award recipient for her films “South Arcadia St.” and “STAND.” Her work has been featured on attn:, BET, Billboard and Refinery29.
She recently edited “Appalachian Futures” for directors Sally Rubin and Ashley York, which was in exhibition at the Smithsonian as well as “Raising Our Collective Strength” (ROCS), a docuseries about the Black Church’s role in the liberation movement. ROCS will have its premiere at The March On Washington Film Festival this fall.
Melanie live-produced the digital film showcase, “Beyond Status,” which highlights migrant storytellers who aim to construct new narratives about who they are as migrants in today’s political and personal contexts. She has collaborated with The Center for Cultural Power on other digital live events such as the Climate Woke Summit (2021), The Disruptors Showcase (2020,2021, 2022) and the No Going Back: A Covid-19 Cultural Strategy Activation Guide.
In 2020 she was an organizer for Street Dance Activism and their Global Dance Meditation for Black Liberation and served as the chair of the Human Rights committee for Young Entertainment Activists, where she also produced the Hollywood Climate Summit.
Melanie has worked as an assistant editor for Mark Harris’ “Breaking Point: The War for Democracy in Ukraine,” Jack White’s PBS/BBC docuseries “American Epic,” Paola DiFlorio’s “Awake: The Life of Yogananda,” Janice Engel’s “Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins,” and Sara Terry’s “A Decent Home.”
Melanie completed her MFA at the University of Southern California in Film and Television Production.