L A U R E N  L A N E

Sylo

S A R A H  D A N K O

 Dani

M E L A N I E  N O T I N G E R

 TJ

T Y L E R  G E O R G E

Trevor

D I R E C T O R   B I O

D I R E C T O R  S T A T E M E N T

Shaped by a childhood gender-bending in the theatre, Melanie found freedom challenging the gender binary early. Her intimate short film, DRESS CODE (writer/director/supporting), was recently featured on NBC Palm Springs; described as "a smart and affecting look at gender identity." The film has screened at festivals internationally including Newfest and Cinema Diverse (2021 Audience Award). Melanie wrote, directed, and starred as a severely anxious comedian in her debut short CHOKE ARTIST (Official Selection Lighthouse International Film Festival). She co-wrote and played 7 erratic roles in BROOKLYN NO-NAMES Off-Broadway – Best Script winner at the 2018 SheNYC Festival. 

Melanie is an alum of Joan Scheckel's Filmmaking Series (Action Lab). She graduated Cum Laude with a B.F.A. in Acting from Texas State University – where her first full-length play, BURNING AND DODGING, was produced. Her latest projects are the CHOKE ARTIST half-hour pilot and an unsettling feature about young people discovering boundaries – in devastating ways. She lives in Los Angeles.

DRESS CODE is a poetic investigation of labels and how they affect us. It explores society's shame around femininity. The screenplay was inspired by the unnecessary pressure to present as either feminine or masculine. To choose. DRESS CODE explores what's in-between.  As a queer storyteller, I'm fascinated by the spectrum of ways one can identify in the world.

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DRESS CODE was shot in Austin, Texas with a 66% female crew. Queer collaborators were vital to the project both on-camera and behind-the-scenes. The score was written & performed by synth-glam-pop Austin native Benjamin Violet (frontman of PELVIS WRESTLEY).

Guided by the works of Joey Soloway (TRANSPARENT), Dee Rees (PARIAH), and Desiree Akhavan (APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR), the project started as a love letter to radical queer storytellers who ferociously challenge norms of identity in their work. My dream is for the film to make presentation feel more comfortable for everyone, especially those who have historically been otherized.

S C R E E N I N G S

Stills by  JEANETTE NEVAREZ.  See her work here. 

Poster Art by  GRACE CHOMICK.  See her work here.