Artist Statement
Melanee's career spans film, television and stage. A creator who knows no bounds, she garnered a development deal with Time Warner under the supervision of music legend, Quincy Jones, for the pilot script, The White Guy.
Melanee's film, The Invincible Jayson Garvey is an official selection for the Root Experience Film Festival in Washington. She also just completed facilitating, writing and directing a youth film project, Secret Society, with Black university students in Calgary. She has completed on-camera work for the Hallmark series, Ride, and her documentary Finding Mother, was recently screened at a showcase at the University of British Columbia for the graduate writing program, in which she is a master's student.
Her short film Race Anonymous has won awards for Best Drama, Best Produced Screenplay (among others) in festivals around the United States and Canada. Her indie drama, The Trial Of Miss Mudimbe, has landed her Special Mention and a nomination for Best Director at various festivals including the Hamilton Black Film Festival. Other awards include: Best Actress, Best Script and Best Production for her critically acclaimed, comedy solo theater show, The 'Hoodwink, which she also made into a film short of the same name.
Melanee's community creative work includes The Invisible Bruise, an exploration of domestic violence for the non-for-profit organization Sagesse. Other community work and facilitation include her work on two iterations of the Our Canada, Our Story series for the non for profit group, Action Dignity in Calgary. In the first Canada 150 Celebration, Melanee headed a two person team who had the task of taking the various histories of different ethno-cultural groups in Calgary and creating a full length play that shared the stage with musicians, poets and dancers. In the second iteration, she worked with youth to create a riveting examination of otherness, family and the strains between the two.
As an actor, Melanee can be seen as Valerie seen in the Hallmark movie, Meet Me At Christmas, as Chrissy in APTN's Tribal, in the award winning feature film, Jasmine Road, the indie short Black and Blue, the City TV/CBC series Young Drunk Punk, the series Judging Amy, Law and Order, Joe Pickett (currently in production with Paramount) and others. She played Tori on the Nickoledeon Show, 100 Deeds For Eddie McDowd, Bess in the feature film KPAX with Jeff Bridges and Alfre Woodard and made appearances on 24, Everybody Loves Raymond and others. Melanee has continued to write and perform, receiving both awards and critical acclaim in a number of genres, including acting, directing, writing and producing. She also performed in the Canadian premieres of The Motherfucker With the Hat at Alberta Theatre Project and The Abortion Monologues at Mt. Royal University.
Melanee's play, The Venus of Basin Street, (aka Nothing Like The Sun) premiered to critical acclaim in Calgary along with her solo show The 'Hoodwink which has premiered to outstanding awards, reviews and ovations in Calgary and New York. Her sequel to Race Anonymous, Do The Math, was an official selection for the Creation International Film Festival and the Hollywood Verge Film Awards.
Melanee recently was awarded the Brenda Strathern prize in literature and is currently enrolled in the University of British Columbia’s graduate program for Creative Writing.