Melissa Thompson

Melissa edits quirky documentaries that tell big stories. She’s especially drawn to challenging projects that—despite imperfect footage or unexpected plot lines—shine a light on today's most pressing issues through humor and heartfelt characters. She edited the award-winning documentary, "Married in Spandex" as well as the shorts "She Got Balls!" and "Dash, Snowboarder, Age 92" (currently in festivals). Her own documentaries have screened worldwide, from the Duke Center for Documentary Studies to the Cork Film Festival.

Beyond producing and editing for Edutopia, Melissa also works on advocacy, fundraising, and short social videos for orgs like Greenpeace, the National Women's Law Center, Ipas, and the Pew Charitable Trusts. She has given talks at American University's School for Environmental Filmmaking, the Center for Reproductive Rights, University of Maryland, the Catalyst Workshops, and the American Conservation Film Fest about using videos to win campaigns.

Melissa's super powers include telling big stories in little packages, using humor to tackle hard topics, and delivering strong cuts at lightning speed. Also, puns.