MCM Filmmaker

07/28/2023

"California's Forgotten Children" documentary team are thrilled to be a part of the July 30th, 7PM EST United Nation Association World Day Against Trafficking hosted by the United States Human...

06/04/2023

04/13/2023

Humbled to have been able to work as Director of Photography on a documentary series for Peacock about the life of the award-winning Latin superstar Jenni Rivera.​ Directed by the incredibly talented show-runner, Cionin Lorenzo, and made possible by a fantastic production team!

Watch the Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOjhZCJbd9Y

Watch the full series: https://www.peacocktv.com/.../who.../5605123021661433112

04/06/2023

Honored to have worked as a contributing Cinematographer on "Birthing Justice." An essential documentary about Black Maternal Healthcare in America. Directed by Monique Matthews. Airing on PBS next week.

03/29/2023

RUTH WEISS: THE BEAT GODDESS (Melody C. Miller, USA, 2019, 69 minutes) In a deep, nicotine-burnished voice, beat poet, performer, and play...

03/16/2023

the hopeful message and inspiring call to action are just a few of the reasons why this film will stick with you…

02/16/2023

California's Forgotten Children is a feature documentary that follows a diverse group of resilient survivors who have overcome commercial s*xual exploitation as children and are changing the world by ensuring no child is forgotten.

02/16/2023

02/16/2023

California’s Forgotten Children is written and directed by Melody C. Miller. A powerful feature documentary that received several awards and nominations and ...

02/16/2023

02/12/2023

California’s Forgotten Children - Documentary arrives on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Google+, on February 12. Thank you Culver City Observer for sharing our news!

Child slavery is a global crisis, and the United States is no exception. Thousands of children are being sold into s*xual slavery in the United States every year, and California is one of the largest hotspots for domestic and international trafficking due to its large population, international borde...

02/10/2023

Jazz troubadour Ruth Weiss escaped the Holocaust to the United States, where she became one of the most influential poets of the Beat Generation.

01/27/2022

This is a documentary I directed, shot, and edited about Samsung's Infinity Screen at SoFi Stadium, home of the LA Rams and the LA Chargers. It was an absolute blast filming this documentary and exploring the stadium.

The Infinity Screen at SoFi Stadium, home of the LA Rams and the LA Chargers, is a technological wonder half a decade in the making. Combining best-in-class ...

12/04/2021

Thrilled to announce that California’s Forgotten Children - Documentary is a finalist in the 53rd Public Media Awards presented by NETA - National Educational Telecommunications Association for our work in community engagement, content, education, and marketing/communications.

12/05/2020

11/10/2020

Reminder this Friday, November 13th- Saturday, November 15th virtual screening and free live events to support the foundation!

A portion of the proceeds will go to the Mendocino Film Festival. Any additional donation will 100% go to the ruth weiss foundation, a 501c3p non-profit organization dedicated to preserving her work through museum exhibits and educational programs, and literary performance events. The foundation's annual grant/scholarship will support aspiring and underserved poets and artists.
Get tickets: www.ruthweissfilm.com
More about the non-profit: www.ruthweissfoundation.org

In addition to the film screening, there will be several free virtual events to participate in each evening. In partnership with the Mendocino Film Festival, we will be launching the non-profit with a three-day virtual film screening of ruth weiss, the beat goddess documentary. Each night, we will have a different free event online. (Nov. 13-15th)

On November 13th, we will make available her rare books to raise funds for the annual grant/scholarship to help artists in need and support our efforts with the museum exhibits and education curricula. We will have a live auction of signed rare books and serigraph poetry prints. And speak more about the foundation.

On November 14th, we will have a virtual Q&A discussion about making the movie and her environmental activism in Mendocino.

On November 15th, we will have a Celebration of Life virtual event that will feature poets, jazz musicians, and keynote speakers

09/27/2020

08/04/2020

07/17/2020

GRATEFUL THANKS TO ALL WHO JOINED THE VIRTUAL SCREENING! WE RAISED $2254.31 SHADE Movement, Inc. UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals!

Funds will provide training for healthcare providers to serve victims of human trafficking and get survivors on a path towards healing.
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Funds will provide food, clothing, transportation, school supplies, a safe place, and PPE Hygiene Care bags to survivors!

07/10/2020

Victims of human trafficking experience high rates of violent injury, reproductive health complications, and many mental health sequelae. As such, they often interface with health providers, who have a chance to intervene. It is extremely important for health care providers to be trained to recognize the possible indicators of human trafficking and to know how to respond to best get survivors on a path towards healing.

In partnership with the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland and Survivor Healing, Advising and Dedicated to Empowerment (S.H.A.D.E) Movement, join us for a virtual screening of "California's Forgotten Children" documentary. The Children’s team aims to support young people at risk for or impacted by human trafficking to promote health and safety. S.H.A.D.E. organization have been instrumental in leading trainings for health care professionals on offering trauma-informed care.

This showing of "California's Forgotten Children" documentary is a benefit and will donate 50% of net ticket sales to S.H.A.D.E. to help support survivors of human trafficking. Any additional donation you give will 100% go for survivor advocates at the S.H.A.D.E. Movement to train health care providers at U.C.S.F. Benioff Children's Hospital - Oakland how best to serve vulnerable patients and to partner on health initiatives.

The recommended start time to watch the film is at 6:00PM PST.

After the screening, we will be hosting a live zoom Q&A at 7:30pm PST discussion with:

- Withelma "T" Ortiz Walker Pettigrew, Time 100 Most Influential People
- Lela Bachrach, MD, MS Attending Physician Adolescent Medicine at Oakland Childrens Hospital
- Joanna La Torre, MSW, ASW Medical Social Worker at Oakland Childrens Hospital
- Mrs. Saraí Smith-Mazariegos, CSEC/DST Trainer at SHADE Movement
- Melody C. Miller, Director of the documentary.

LINK TO EVENT: https://www.californiasforgottenchildren.com/store/p15/CHO.html

07/09/2020

Thank you so much to those who joined our virtual screening with the Survivor Alliance ! Thanks to you we were able to help survivors of human trafficking by providing transportation, mobile communication, books, leadership manuals and workshops, and survivors-led community meetings.

06/27/2020

Reminder that California's Forgotten Children Documentary is available to view right now for this weekend only.
Join us for a virtual screening with the Survivor Alliance.
https://www.californiasforgottenchildren.com/store/p14/SA.html

06/08/2020

Join us for a Virtual Screening of California's Forgotten Children documentary this Friday in partnership with the Valley Crisis Center of Merced County to fundraise to help youth who have experienced commercial s*xual exploitation, s*xual assault, domestic violence, and homelessness.

"California's Forgotten Children" documentary will donate 50% of net ticket sales to Valley Crisis Center to help services provided to youth in need. Any additional donation you give will 100% go to also help a child, a young adult, or family by providing food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and education supplies.

After the screening, we will be hosting a live Q&A with the Valley Crisis Center first responders, the police department, and the director of the film. Discussing action steps in the long run to create concrete change.

If you cannot make the live event, the film will be available to view for 24 hours with the Q&A with a recording of the panel discussion.

https://www.californiasforgottenchildren.com/store/p12/VC.html

05/06/2020

Honored to announce that ruth weiss, the beat goddess documentary will be premiering Virtually in Colorado at the 16th Annual Vail Film Festival on May 17th, 2020. Only people who live in Colorado can reserve tickets to see the film on that day. Please share it with friends in the area.

https://watch.eventive.org/vailfilmfestival/play/5ea614c2e5745b00292239f7

05/01/2020

Excited to announce that ruth weiss, the beat goddess documentary will be premiering in Florida at the Sarasota Film Festival this weekend virtually. For two days only, people in Florida will be able to view the film at home and join us for a live Q&A discussion after on Saturday at 12:00pm. Only people in Florida are able to view it. This is the new norm of film festivals geo blocking films for state premieres.

03/10/2020

01/31/2020

I worked in Philadelphia this week! Here is a picture of one of our camera setups getting creative with B-roll for the story. It’s a lovely city, and I met some good people! 😊🎥

01/27/2020

Congratulations to legendary beat poet and icon ruth weiss named a recipient of this year's Maverick Spirit Award. ’s highest honor, the Maverick Spirit Award recognizes the world’s most compelling visionary and creative forces. This once in a lifetime experience, along with the premiere screening of ruth weiss: beat goddess, is part of the March 8 Poets N Film event at the Hammer Theatre. Learn more at http://ow.ly/h84d50y5gFE.

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01/24/2020

We are beyond tears and excitement to announce that ruth weiss will be awarded the Maverick Spirit Award at the Cinequest Film Festival!

This prestigious award is given to influential individuals who embody the independent and innovative mindset and has previously been awarded to Werner Herzog, Harrison Ford, Jackie Chan, and many more.

The show will kick off with two Beat poems read by local artists: Kimy Martinez and Gary Singh.

ruth weiss, the beat goddess documentary premiere, the festival describes our film as "beautifully captured the heart, work, and legend of ruth weiss, a female Beat poet that revolutionized and empowered the world of poetry."

After this breathtaking film, ruth weiss will perform along with musicians Rent Romus, Hal Davis, and Doug O'Connor.

Finally to close the event a panel discussion, moderated by Robert Pesich, president of Poetry Center San José. The panel discussion will include the Author of Women of the Beat Generation, Brenda Knight, Photographer, Daniel Nicoletta, ruth weiss, director Melody C. Miller, and more to be announced.

Tickets are available here: https://payments.cinequest.org/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=114382~78899376-35a9-4153-8303-e1557be2dc32&epguid=d52499c1-3164-429f-b057-384dd7ec4b23 #.XisQLRNKiAx

11/07/2019

Our sincerest thanks and gratitude to the beautiful Santa Cruz Film Festival for honoring ruth weiss, the beat goddess documentary with the Visionary Women In Film Award!

11/07/2019

09/30/2019

When you think of indie film festivals, Montana's big-shouldered, workaday Billings with a population of 109,642, it may not come to mind at first, but it's certainly on its way. The second

08/08/2019

You can now request to see California's Forgotten Children at any movie theater in the United States because of our partnership with Tugg, Inc. Pick out your venue today and plan a screening!

"California's Forgotten Children" is a feature documentary about child s*x trafficking. The film recounts true stories of girls and boys who were commercially s*xually exploited in California and are now survivors and courageous leaders fighting for the rights of victims worldwide. The survivors' st...

08/03/2019

It's Friday. The weekend begins. Two weeks to go til we see all you cool cats at our gig, ya dig? The 5th Annual Black Cat Picture Show. Moving pictures. Films that flow. Cinematic masterpieces that'll make Ted Theodore Logan say "whoa".

Meet Melody C. Miller, director of the documentary RUTH WEISS, THE BEAT GODDESS. In a life that has spanned 91 creative years, Ruth Weiss is one of the last living significant poets of the Beat Generation. Inspired by her work this documentary uses poetic imagery through dance, art, animation, and music to embody her oeuvre.

"In 2016, serendipity let me to Ruth Weiss's poetry readings where I became mesmerized by her presence. It led me to embark on a three and a half year journey making a film about her life story. I am thrilled to be premiering it at the Black Cat Picture Show," - director Melody C. Miller.

Melody C. Miller graduated from UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television and has won The Motion Picture Association of America Award, Women in Film Award, and the Loreen Arbus Cinematography Award!

You can learn more about Melody and her work at her website - www.mcmfilmmaker.com

Black Cat Picture Show tickets are currently on sale at lcnaugusta.com. Join the party and get yours today!

07/30/2019

ruth weiss, the beat goddess 2019 BEST DOCUMENTARY A film about an extraordinary woman, "The Goddess of the Beat Generation", ruth weiss. In a life that has spanned 90 creative years, escaping the N***s with her family in Vienna ruth became a Jazz troubadour exemplifying the zeitgeist of Chicago, Ne...

07/16/2018