Michael Andrew Melski (May 19, 1969 – July 18, 2025) was a Canadian playwright and filmmaker from Sydney, Nova Scotia.[1]
Michael Melski | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Michael Andrew Melski May 19, 1969 |
| Died | July 18, 2025 (aged 56) |
| Alma mater | Canadian Film Centre |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1995–2020 |
Early life and education
editMelski was born in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, on May 19, 1969.[2]
Melski studied screenwriting at the Canadian Film Centre in the 1990s,[3] with his early screenplays including the films Mile Zero[4] and Touch & Go.[5]
Career
editMelski began his career as a playwright.[6] His plays Heartspent and Black Silence were published in book form in 1996, as the two-play volume Blood on Steel.[7] He ultimately became best known for his 1995 play Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad, which was widely produced across Canada.[8]
Melski's other plays included The Fly Fisher's Companion,[9] and Miles from Home.[10]
Melski released Growing Op, his debut film as a director, in 2008.[11] He followed up in 2013 with Charlie Zone.[12]
In 2016, Melski released the documentary film Perfume War,[13] and in 2019 he released his final narrative feature film, The Child Remains.[14] His 2020 documentary film Rare Bird Alert was broadcast by CBC Television in 2020 as an episode of CBC Docs POV.[15]
Throughout his career, Melski also served as an artist in residence for various theatre companies, including the Shaw Festival, Neptune Theatre and Eastern Front Theatre.[16]
Death
editReferences
edit- ↑ Ian Nathanson, "'A huge loss': Friends, family pay respects to Cape Breton-born playwright, filmmaker Michael Melski". Cape Breton Post, July 23, 2025.
- ↑ "Michael Andrew Melski – 2025". Cape Breton Post. Postmedia Obituaries. July 18, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ↑ Marilyn Smulders, "Editing the Bard: In scripting Martello Tower Hamlet, Michael Melski had to chop two hours out of Shakespeare's classic". Halifax Daily News, August 29, 1996.
- ↑ Camille Bains, "Feature film Mile Zero portrays single dad's love, lies gone overboard". The Canadian Press, January 2, 2002.
- ↑ Skana Gee, "No slacker: Local film focuses on love and work among the 20-something set". Halifax Daily News, September 20, 2002.
- ↑ Cathy MacDonald, "Magical moments of choice; A Dalhousie student and two colleagues use theatre to dissect schoolyard racism". Halifax Daily News, August 19, 1991.
- ↑ "Melski launches book". Halifax Daily News, April 23, 1996.
- ↑ Lara Bradley, "Get your hockey fix". Sudbury Star, October 28, 2004.
- ↑ Peter Birnie, "Fishermen's tale likely to be well-received". Vancouver Sun, October 12, 2006.
- ↑ Marla Cranston, "Go, Johnny, Go: The life of Boston marathon runner Johnny Miles is examined in a new play". Halifax Daily News, July 6, 2001.
- ↑ Katherine Monk, "Put this in your pipe!; Growing Op asks can love mix with family biz?". The Province, November 21, 2008.
- ↑ Jane Taber, "No stranger to the dark side". The Globe and Mail, March 1, 2013.
- ↑ Tina Hassannia, "Scent worth following". Calgary Herald, April 14, 2017.
- ↑ "Filmmaker Michael Melski on The Child Remains, a horror movie based on the true story of the Butterbox Babies". Q, May 16, 2018.
- ↑ Cooke, Stephen. "From mosh pit to meadow, Rare Bird Alert a colourful blend of birding and punk | The Chronicle Herald". Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
- 1 2 Jeremy Hull, "Award-winning filmmaker and playwright Michael Melski dies at 56". CTV Atlantic, July 20, 2025.
- ↑ Nicholas Sokic, "Director, playwright Michael Melski dies at 56". Playback, July 24, 2025.
External links
edit- Michael Melski at IMDb
- Michael Melski at MUBI
- Michael Melski at Rotten Tomatoes
- Michael Melski at Letterboxd
- Melski's profile (archived) at Marquis Literary