Melissa Sterne Pro

Melissa Sterne is a Chicago-based documentary film editor with a passion for projects that spark conversations among seemingly disparate audiences. The documentaries she has edited span political, historical, cultural, and social-issue genres.

She recently edited and associate produced First Voice Generation (dir. Cynthia Martinez), currently playing in festivals. Melissa co-edited Punch 9 For Harold Washington (dir. Joe Winston) which premiered at the 2021 DOC NYC festival and received the 2021 Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Chicago International Film Festival. Melissa also edited Mikva! Democracy is a Verb (dir. Bob Hercules) which aired nationally on PBS and was nominated for a 2021 Midwest Emmy Award. Other work includes We Are Witnesses: Chicago, (dir. Maggie Bowman & Stacy Robinson), a short video series about Chicagoans whose lives were impacted by the criminal justice system. It was nominated for a 2019 News and Documentary Emmy Award. Melissa co-edited Seasons of Change on Henry’s Farm (dir. Ines Sommer), which won Best Documentary at the 2020 Vail Film Festival. Melissa was additional editor and Story Consultant on Saul & Ruby’s Holocaust Survivor Band (dir. Tod Lending). In addition to winning Grand Jury Prize at the 2020 Miami Jewish Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2020 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, it has shown at multiple Jewish Film Festivals throughout the world and is being distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Other documentaries Melissa has edited include Fighting on Both Fronts: The Story of the 370th (dir. Mario Thorpe, PBS Feburary 2019).  Previously, she edited All The Difference (dir. Tod Lending, PBS series POV September 2016).  Melissa was the supervising editor and a producer for The School Project, a collaborative short documentary web series about public education. Other editing credits include Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance (dir. Bob Hercules, PBS series American Masters 2012). It was the opening film at the Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center and had a national theatrical release, playing in over 130 theaters. She also edited Radical Disciple: The Story of Father Michael Pfleger (dir. Bob Hercules, PBS 2009), which garnered 3 stars from Roger Ebert and won Best Documentary at the Big Muddy Film Festival. Other editing credits include the 2007 documentary Senator Obama Goes to Africa (dir. Bob Hercules), which was broadcast in over 100 countries.