Melissa Pérez

Melissa Perez was born in Washington State and grew up in the Mojave Desert in California. She studied Film & Media Studies at UCSB where she won a Corwin Award for Best Directing on her short OVER AND OUT. In 2012, she was selected as a writing/directing fellow for OUTSET young filmmakers project by LA LGBT Center & Outfest which fully funded her short, MY MOTHER'S ORPHAN. Melissa recently graduated from the American Film Institute as a Directing fellow. At AFI, Melissa received a Latino Donor Collaborative Scholarship and a Women in Film Scholarship. Being the daughter of immigrants from Guadalajara, Mexico, Melissa finds inspiration from her family history and the contradictions and silences within them. Melissa is currently developing the narrative feature, CALL ME ABE, a story about a 39-year-old Latino man with Schizophrenia struggling to find a job.