Melanie La Rosa is a filmmaker, professor, and author. Her 2024 documentary, HOW TO POWER A CITY, explores renewable energy in six locations. Nominated for four awards, it did a festival and conference run through 2024-25 and broadcasts nationally on PBS starting May ’25. It is distributed by New Day Films. Also in May ‘25, her new book CONTEMPORARY POST-PRODUCTION will be published by Routledge. She is a Public Voices Fellow on the Climate Crisis and has written op-eds and articles published in The Progressive, NACLA, and other respected magazines. Her previous films include THE POETRY DEAL: A FILM WITH DIANE DI PRIMA (PBS, Women Make Movies) and SIR: JUST A NORMAL GUY (Free Speech TV, Women Make Movies). “How To Power a City” is a singular film looking at how varied leaders led renewable energy projects, from tiny community-based projects to entire utilities. Distribution includes a wide range of screenings, educational sales, and PBS broadcast/streaming. Melanie has been invited to present the film and speak about her work at conferences and events including McGill University (Montreal), the American Public Health Association 2024 conference, CleanMed ’24, the Virtual Island Summit ’24, Hofstra University, and many more. Her book, “Contemporary Post-Production: Create, Cut, Collaborate, Color, Deliver” (Routledge/Taylor & Francis, 2025), is published by the world’s leader in filmmaking texts. It weaves together technical guidance, interviews with four contemporary filmmakers, and historical sections on important early filmmakers and their approach to editing. Melanie is an Associate Professor of filmmaking at Pace University in New York. Collaborative class projects include working with the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, Teatown Lake Preserve, Parenting, Prisons, and Pups, and other organizations.
