Biography

Melissa Pastrana is a film editor and IATSE Local 700 member. Trained at the Miami City Ballet School under Edward Villella, she holds a BFA in Dance/Choreography from the New World School of the Arts and is the first woman to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking from the New York Film Academy South Beach. As a professional choreographer, she led the Season 1 win on Estrella TV's nationally televised "Mi Sueño Es Bailar," the show's only female champion, flown in from Miami to compete in Burbank, earning coverage in national publications. She has since worked as an editor, producer, and camera operator, earning industry recognition in national editing competitions, with a signature style of beat-matched, action-driven storytelling rooted in her choreography background.
- IMDb mini biography by: CBG