Producer of THE FAREWELL Dani Melia

Happy Tuesday, party people. 

One day closer to Friday, amirite!? What's shaking in your world? I'm about to enter a season of big transition.

I'm moving (within LA!) next month and some family I'm really close with is moving away. Ahhhh, the undulations of life...Still pinching myself as I continue to enthusiastically build  at HOORAE and ColorCreative alongside Issa Rae and this team. And yes, still somehow finding time to bring you new episodes.

In fact, I'll be recording soon with producer Jordana Mollick next month. Send me your questions! Jordana is the co-founder of Semi-Formal Productions along with Michael Showalter. 

A few of their producing credits include The Eyes of Tammy Faye and the hit Hulu show The Dropout with Amanda Seyfriend as Elizabeth Holmes.

I'm also eager to capture the stories of international producers...those working in Africa, Australia, Asia, and beyond. Got anyone that should be on my radar? Hit me up! 

And hey....thanks for doing this life with me! 

With hotdog hands of gratitude,

-Carolina

HIGHLIGHT EPISODE

Dani Melia is a producer and mother to her adorable pup, Elote. 🐶 I’ve had my eye on her since Lulu Wang's The Farewell etched it’s way into my heart.

The film went o receive nominations for the Gotham Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTAs, and won two Film Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Picture. Told through the eyes of Chinese-American Billi, (played brilliantly by Awakafina) the film explores family dynamics, the cultural differences between the East and the West, and the difficulty in saying goodbyes.

During our chat, Dani shares how Little Miss Sunshine, a film we both love, inspired her to cold email Big Beach. Her perseverance scored her an internship and she eventually rose the ranks and became an executive. While there, she worked on some incredible films including Loving, Safety Not Guaranteed and The Kings of Summer.

In 2021, she founded film and television production company Local Time alongside Wang. Through their first look with Amazon, they aim to champion emerging storytellers and focus on narrative possibilities that can open audiences to new perspectives in storytelling.

Gems include: 

• How she navigated risk and trusted her gut with "The Farewell" 

• The yin and yang of her magical partnership with Lulu

• Knowing when it’s time to leave a job

Watch or Listen

PRODUCER'S CORNER

LEARN

Group Effort Initiative (GEI) was launched and financed by Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively in August 2020. They aim to help members of underrepresented communities to get real experience towards lasting careers within the entertainment industry.  Read more. 

YES, please. It bring me tremendous joy to see more and more programs like this popping up!

READ

An Abolitionist's Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World

DISCOVER

Wide Awake at 3 A.M.?

WATCH

Unless you've been living near or under a rock, you may have heard about the exceptional film EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE.  Sprint your little tush to a theater near you and delight yourself in this brilliant, wacky, and poignant world created by The Daniels.

Trailer