Writing & Film

Alongside her work as a violinist, Melissa writes fiction and screenplays and directs short-form film. Her work returns to the hidden life of music — how artists think, how performance changes people, and how the arts connect us to something larger than ourselves.

Melissa was selected for the All3Media New Writers Collective and featured at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

DUETTE

Melissa’s first short as a writer/director, produced by Emergence Films. It’s about a bullied male ballet dancer who finds hope through a mysterious pianist. It’s a brief variation on one of her favourite themes: how the Arts connect us to our higher selves and to each other.

Duette was selected for festivals across the world, including Brighton Rocks International, Venice Shorts, and Austin International, plus it was a Semi-Finalist for the Sydney Indie Short Festival and the Vienna Indie Short Film Festival.

Sound Bites

Melissa’s first foray as a director in the world of film was for the Nespresso Talents 2019 competition. Sound Bites is a micro-short exploring the relationship between a quartet of classical musicians and food. Shot vertically, this is Melissa’s debut tongue-in-cheek documentary, from March 2019, produced by Emergence Films and Fireworks Productions. View in full screen for the best experience.

Read more of her writing →