Melissa Bruno is a filmmaker and visual artist, born and raised in a working-class neighborhood just outside of Boston, MA. Her works span from fictional narratives to performance video art with an emphasis on presenting the audience a genuine female perspective. She writes, directs, edits (and occasionally acts) all of her films.
In 2005, she received a BFA in Film & Video from Massachusetts College of Art. She was also awarded the MPA Performing Arts Award. She is currently an MFA candidate at San Francisco State University. In 2009, Melissa was nominated for the Humanitas Award for the tv spec script Lovely Rita.
This summer, Melissa will begin principal filming for her thesis project, Winter Hill. Based largely upon Melissa’s adolescence, “Winter Hill” is about the friendship between two teenage girls growing up in a Boston working-class neighborhood during the mid ’90s. Her goal is to capture a realistic portrayal of female friendship.
Melissa admires and is influenced by many filmmaker and artists, including Catherine Breillat, David Lynch, Agnes Varda, Cecily Brown (painter), Sofia Coppola, Sue de Beer & Chantal Akerman.