Melanie Zoey
writes dramedies about women and queer characters finding their way to wholeness through challenging yet heartbreakingly funny relationships. Characters contend with social taboos like kink, religion, chronic illness and family dysfunction - sometimes all rolled into one. It’s about self-acceptance in a broken world with broken people. But hey, as Leonard Cohen sang: that’s how the light gets in.
about melanie zoey
Melanie Zoey Weinstein’s dark comedy television and film scripts reflect her ambition to transform the things that make her uncomfortable into stories that make us laugh and cry about whatever makes us feel broken and weird.
Melanie’s dark comedy TV pilot FAKE RABBI placed as an ISA Fast Track Fellowship Top 50 2025 and Shore Script TV Mentorship Program Finalist 2025, and her TV pilot SICK was a Screencraft TV Pilot Competition Semifinalist 2025. Melanie's TV pilots are about women who contend with social taboos on the road to self-acceptance.
Melanie’s body of work as a writer/director includes two short films WHY I DANCE, a globally viral pole dance film on Vimeo, and SPANKO, which was named one of the best films of the past 16 years by sex writer Dan Savage. Melanie is the co-producer and dialogue writer for MENASHE, which premiered at Sundance and Berlinale, and was distributed by A24.
Melanie’s comedy play, SEX AND THE HOLY LAND, sold out and got an extended run in the New York Fringe Festival and was featured in the New York Times.
After becoming disabled by chronic illness, Melanie is now a disability advocate in their work, which seeks to make invisible illness more visible.
Melanie is a graduate of the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting, Atlantic Theater Company's LA Acting Conservatory, and graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in Theatre Arts and Creative Writing from the University of Miami. When Melanie is not working in entertainment, Melanie stays close with her dysfunctional New York Jewish family and trauma bonds with her writing paw-tner, a tabby cat named Rabbi Frankie Lovebug Falafel Meatball the Boss.
Melanie Zoey Resume
Filmmaker, writer, and actor specializing in bringing taboo subjects to light with humor and gravitas. Known for impactful work across feature films, shorts, and digital media, Melanie has successfully developed projects from inception to distribution. Melanie's directing work of note include the viral feminist film Why I Dance and the award-winning short film, Spanko.
Screenwriting Placements
2025: Finalist, Shore Script TV Mentorship, Fake Rabbi
2025: Top 50, ISA Fast Track Fellowship, Fake Rabbi
2025: Semifinalist, Screencraft TV Pilot Competition, Sick
2022: Finalist, Shore Episodic Script Competition, Fake Rabbi
2021: Semifinalist, Inevitable Foundation Screenwriting Grant
2020: Second Round, Sundance Feature Filmmaking Track, There Is No Better
2018: Second Round, Sundance Episodic Lab, Fake Rabbi
Feature Film
MENASHE (Co-Producer, Dir. Joshua Z Weinstein) July 2015 - 2018
Co-produced and wrote dialogue for this award-winning film.
Premiered at Sundance and Berlinale; distributed by A24.
Nominated for Independent Spirit and Gotham Awards; Grand Prize at Deauville.
Shorts & Digital
SPANKO (Director/Writer/Actor/Producer) 2018 - 2023
Wrote, directed, acted in, and produced a drama-comedy about a Jewish teacher with a spanking fetish.
Screened at over 25 international festivals; awarded Best Acting (NYC Downtown Shorts), Best Short Film (Nachschatten), and Best Comedy (Highland Park Independent Film Festival).
Described as “euphoric” by Ebert.com; Named one of the best films of the last 16 years by intimacy writer and podcaster, Dan Savage
WHY I DANCE (Director/Producer/Dancer) June 2014 - 2017
Directed a viral feminist pole dance film to end violence against women.
Featured in Refinery29, Upworthy, Buzzfeed, HuffPo, GQ, and Vogue.
Achieved over 1.8 million views; screened at Vienna International Short Film Festival.
LIGHT SONG (Director/Producer) June 2015 - December 2016
Directed and produced a feminist Chanukah music video and docuseries.
Screened internationally, including at the Kosovo Feminist Film Festival.
WEINSTEIN (Writer/Producer/Actor) June 2014 - 2016
Produced and acted in a comedic short film about Hollywood financing.
Screened at El Cid Short Film Night, Basement Shorts, and Palm Springs Short Film Market; distributed by IndieFlix.
Theater
Sanity is for Suckers (Writer/Actor/Producer) June 2011 - 2016 | Created and produced one-act play festival that raised over $12,000 for The Young Storytellers
Sex and the Holy Land (Writer/Actor/Producer) May - September 2009 | Wrote, produced, and starred in off-Broadway play at the New York International Fringe Festival; awarded extended run in Encore Series; featured in The New York Times.
Education, Labs & Additional Experience
Black Magic Collective Producers Lab 2023
Pre-Screener for SXSW and Mill Valley Film Festival. 2020-2022
Selected ‘Los Angeles Hometown Hero,’ Mark Duplass Seed&Spark’s Creative Sustainability Summit 2020
Joan Scheckel Filmmaking Lab 2014 - 2015
UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting 2012 - 2013
Atlantic Theater Company Los Angeles Acting Conservatory 2011
University of Miami B.A. in Theatre Arts and Creative Writing, summa cum laude, 2008
PDF RESUME HERE.