DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY
"Melissa's work is delightful and soulful."
 Sandra Bowie, Managing and Administrative Director, Department of Drama, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU.
"There is no doubt about Melissa's talent."
Lynne Honickman, The Honickman Foundation, Philadelphia.
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Melissa Hammel received her BA in Sociology/Women’s Studies from Tufts University. There she produced an acclaimed documentary about international security and the environment which won accolades from the U.S. General Accounting Office. The success of this first endeavor confirmed for Melissa that the best way to learn and teach creatively was through film. Upon graduation from Tufts, she moved to San Francisco to work for CNN and study 8mm avant garde filmmaking. Melissa earned her MFA in filmmaking from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
Wanderlust, Melissa’s first film, won a Warner Bros. Pictures Film Production Award, traveled to festivals nationally and was awarded "best young filmmaker" at the Narrowsburg International Film Festival in 1999. It aired on the Sundance Channel through 2004.
Melissa has worked as a producer, videographer and editor for independent clients as well as individuals and organizations including Bravo, PBS and Washington Mutual. She was awarded a Cine Golden Eagle in 2002 for her role as producer/director of a commercial piece about New York City. Melissa's 25 minute documentary, Ilona, Upstairs, is the winner of multiple awards including HBO's "Audience Award for Best Short" at the Provincetown Int'l Film Festival, The "Spirit of Moondance" award, and is currently airing on South Carolina ETV and nationally on Plum TV.
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