FILMMAKER BIO:

Melanie West was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She grew up on a ranch near the Cerrillos Hills. While in college at Lake Forest, outside Chicago, she majored in English and Journalism, directed and acted in numerous plays and pursued her drawing and photography work. As assistant producer and sound engineer on Jim Hightower's live radio show, she handled all technical details, booked guests, and joined in with the lively political discussions. For three years as production and touring coordinator at Texas Folklife Resources she booked bands and produced large-scale shows across Texas and worked with musicians ranging from Arlo Guthrie to Flaco Jimenez and Johnny Gimble. She continued field sound recording work for documentaries and narrative projects along with directing her own experimental shorts and documentaries. Her projects have screened at SXSW, CinemaTexas, Santa Fe Film Festival, Lady Fest, Rural Route Film Festival, Dallas Video Festival, Film Fest New Haven, Austin Cinemaker Co-Op, and at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston for Foto Fest. She continues her 35 mm and medium format still photography along with film direction and production.