By Sofiya Saykovska and Lily Della Pietra
Welcome to our new NYWIFT member, Melody Gilbert!
Melody is an Emmy-nominated and Alfred I. duPont award-winning documentary filmmaker. Over the course of her career, Melody has directed and produced 20 documentaries that have been screened at several film festivals and distributed internationally. Melody is also an educator committed to teaching new and emerging filmmakers. She has been on the faculty at several universities (including the American University in Bulgaria), teaching documentary production, multimedia, and journalism.
Currently, Melody is traveling the world and spreading her love for film by teaching pitch training workshops and conducting her “Documentary Boot Camp” while working on her new documentary about the scandalous topless monokini bathing suit in 1964. The most recent documentary she helped produce, Queendom, was shortlisted for an Oscar in the feature documentary category.
In our interview, Melody discusses her move from chilly Minnesota to NYC, her unconventional documentary subjects, and the key lessons she shares with film students.
NYWIFT Member Melody Gilbert
What brought you to NYWIFT?
I recently relocated to NY, and the first thing I did was look for a WIFT chapter! I was a founding member of the MNWIFT in Minnesota and I know from that experience the benefit of professional connections, events, and, more importantly, the bonds that can be made with other women in this industry. We need each other.
I am looking forward to meeting many of my NYWIFT colleagues!
Your documentaries are known for their rare intimacy with subjects and uncovering hidden worlds. How do you manage to create such deep trust with your subjects, and what is your approach to making them feel comfortable enough to share their most vulnerable thoughts?
I think it’s because I’m genuinely curious about the lives of the people I am filming, and they can sense that. They are not a “get.” I’m still in touch with people I made films about 20 years ago.
There is another thing I do that helps, which is that I don’t have much equipment when I’m filming. I usually work with a small DSLR or video camera and a wireless mic. The whole experience is less intimidating than showing up with a big crew and lots of gear.
Melody Gilbert at Cinema Eye Honors
What inspires you to choose such unique and often unconventional subjects for your films?
I have always been drawn to outsiders, underdogs, and subcultures. I’ve made films about kids who can’t feel pain, urban explorers, amputee-wannabes, and people who live with and love life-sized and lifelike silicone dolls that look real and feel real, called Silicone Soul. That subject may not be for everyone, but I thought: “Fascinating.” It’s like the real Lars and the Real Girl movie starring Ryan Gosling. To me, this is way better than fiction.
I get excited when I have an opportunity to tell non-judgmental, non-sensationalistic stories about interesting people who bravely open up and share their secrets and stories with me. I don’t always know where that journey will take me, but I know that when I find a subject like this, I am inspired to learn more, to find out “why.” In the end, that film explores who we are and where we are going as a society while tantalizing us with questions (and maybe even doubts) about the future of human relationships. So, it turns out the film is about love, loneliness, secrets, and relationships, and that’s not what you would expect when you hear about this topic.
I like to direct films that create conversations, not necessarily give answers.
I also make films about more predictable subjects, including a doc I directed about former Vice President Walter Mondale, and more recently, I produced a doc about an incredibly difficult ultra called 40 Below: The Toughest Race in the World that happens in Minnesota in (you guessed it) 40 degrees below zero (now available on Amazon). I have also made some brand video docs for Nat Geo and other clients.
Melody Gilbert with Queendom
You often work solo, directing, shooting, producing, and sometimes editing your films. How does this hands-on, multi-role approach affect the storytelling process, and do you find it challenging or liberating?
It’s liberating, mostly because I don’t have to wait to start a project. I just go. But it’s also challenging. I do hire people when I need them. For example, I have worked with an editor on all the recent films I directed. I also bring in additional crew as I need them for specific shoots and have hired animators, composers, and other collaborators. I do know my limitations. I also like having a team. But I am usually on my own at the beginning.
Melody Gilbert at Moldox
As a film professor and an independent filmmaker, how do you bring your personal documentary experience into the classroom? What key lessons do you impart to your students who are interested in creating their own character-driven documentaries?
Oh, you should ask my former students that question! I have quite a few Melody-isms, but probably these are the top four that I share in the classroom that connect to my own experience making films:
1) Don’t wait for everything to be perfect– just start.
2) Find subjects only you have access to and make your film about that (make what you know).
3) You don’t get what you don’t ask for.
4) It’s okay to make mistakes. I still make mistakes. Keep trying.
Melody Gilbert at a Moldox Pitch Class
Having worked on both feature-length films and short films, what do you think is the most important difference in approaching these two formats, and how do you adapt your storytelling techniques accordingly?
So far, the short format has created more opportunities to experiment. The most recent short I made, Judy’s Thoughts, is about a cassette tape my mom left behind 40 years ago as she was dying, and I couldn’t listen to it for 40 years. I started out making a more traditional short using her audio as VO with old home videos and photos, and I realized that just didn’t create the feeling I wanted. Working with my editor/producer Igor Myakotin, we came up with a more experimental approach that satisfied us both.
For the new feature I am working on, I hope to try some new and exciting and more interactive and participatory elements. Things are changing, and I’m excited about the future!
Learn more about Melody Gilbert at her websites www.frozenfeetfilm.com queendomdoc.com, and 40belowmovie.com; on IMDB ; connect with her on Instagram at @melodygilbert01; or contact her at melodygilbert01@gmail.com!
(All images courtesy of Melody Gilbert)
Sofiya Saykovska and Lily Della Pietra
Sofiya Saykovska is an up-and-coming editor based in Long Island, NY. She is freshly graduated from the School of Visual Arts. Her works include "Good Enough", and "Disoriented", both of which were prestigiously awarded from the SVA Alumni Society. Sofiya is actively involved in various creative pursuits, including photography, dance, music, and painting. Her work often showcases her vibrant imagination and keen eye for detail.
Lily Della Pietra is a current intern at NYWIFT and a student at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus. She is a Communications major with a concentration in Media Studies and hopes to continue following this path post-grad working in the entertainment field. Lily is very passionate about film and music, often practicing guitar or keeping up with the latest films in her free time. She is excited to work with the NYWIFT community and explore the industry!
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Samantha Herrera
Welcome to NYWIFT, Samantha Herrera! Samantha Herrera is a queer Filipina artist born and raised in Queens, NY. Her roots began in theatre with training at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, The Neighborhood Playhouse, and LAMDA. Saint Vegas is the first narrative film she has directed, written, and produced. It will internationally premiere in the Philippines hosted by Cine Balikbayan. This November, she played one of the lead roles in Diwata, directed by Shea Formanes. Aside from filmmaking, Samantha works at her alma mater - The Neighborhood Playhouse - and runs a Filipino food pop-up business with her partner. In our interview, Samantha discussed the mentors who shaped her artistry, her inspirations, and her upcoming work.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Joyce Hills
Welcome to NYWIFT, Joyce Hills! Joyce Hills is a recent graduate of NYU Tisch, where she co-wrote and directed the culturally-rich epic Viking short film The Feather, featuring out-of-this-world SFX hair and makeup, practical stunts, and generative workflows on a virtual production volume. She was the First Assistant Director and VFX Supervisor on the Seed & Spark-awarded short film Night of Melancholia, interned in Virtual Production at Gum Studios in Brooklyn, and performed as Sugarsop, The Widow, and assorted household servants in Will Kempe’s Players’ The Taming of the Shrew. Joyce is developing her first feature film, a dark fantasy inspired by mystical quests, heroes’ journeys, and time and destiny in popular culture. She is also developing a science fiction feminist short, and is pursuing additional education in XR mediamaking and STEM. In our interview, she discussed her childhood inspirations, emerging technologies, and the future of storytelling.
READ MORENYWIFT Member Spotlight: Kelcey Edwards
NYWIFT Member Kelcey Edwards found her way into documentary filmmaking through Iron Gate Studios, a nonprofit gallery and artist workspace she cofounded in her early twenties in Austin, Texas. At the time, she was making small narrative films alongside many other Austin-based filmmakers involved in the “mumblecore” scene; her first film, Letter, screened at SXSW in 2006. Since cameras and equipment were always present in the gallery, she began interviewing many of the artists who visited the space. Over time, the habit of recording conversations and documenting artists’ lives became a steady part of her practice. That interest eventually led her to pursue an MFA in Documentary Film at Stanford and later to move to New York, where she continued developing their work. About a decade later, she directed The Art of Making It, a feature documentary about the art world, which won the Audience Award at SXSW in 2022. It’s currently available on most streaming platforms. Kelcey’s films have received support from the MacArthur Foundation, Sundance, and Tribeca Film Institute, among others, have been broadcast internationally, and have screened at top-tier festivals including SXSW, Berlinale, and Hamptons International. In our interview, Kelcey discussed her teaching philosophy, approach to filmmaking, and upcoming projects.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Therese Cayaba-Jones
Welcome, Therese Cayaba-Jones, to NYWIFT. Therese is a filmmaker with over 15 years of experience with films, documentaries, and series across the Philippines, Singapore, and the U.S. She just finished the feature screenplay for UnMarry, which was recently announced as one of the entries for the Metro Manila Film Festival 2025. Currently, Therese is producing the film Tales My Father Told, and raising money through NYWIFT fiscal sponsorship. Read on to see Therese’s story of moving to New York, her role in the 48 Hour Film Project, and her take on the state of independent filmmaking in the Big Apple.
READ MORE
Comments are closed