Junior film student Melaney Klinedinst received the Jury Award for Visual Storytelling at this year’s Sonscreen Film Festival for her film Ego. From her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, she didn’t get into filmmaking until her senior year of high school. “I had always been a writer, and had recently fallen in love with photography,” Melaney said. “So, I suppose, the two sort of merged and I realized filmmaking was something I was both good at and found a passion in unlike any other hobby or field of study. Writing and filmmaking are still my go-to ways to process things that happen in my life and find peace in the chaos.”

Melaney is grateful to be recognized for her cinematography, as she spent a great deal of time and effort on the visuals of her film and is where most of her passion in film resides. At the end of the day, she aims to make art that sparks discussion and change. With that, she kindly talked to us about her film, being the Jury Award winner, and her time at Sonscreen and PUC. 

Tell us about Ego. What was your inspiration for making it? 

“Ego” started with me wanting to explore the concept of how someone might react to learning they’re about to die unexpectedly and representing that process of shock, anger, and grief in a surreal, avant-garde manner. 

However, as I was writing the script, the story ultimately turned more into exploring how we define our reality based on the boxes, roles, and concepts we adhere to, both good and bad. The film uses physical death as a motif for the lifelong process of letting go of what we limit ourselves with, or perhaps a more subdued definition of what some call “ego death.” 

At the end of the film, Aaron finally removes the physical mask – all the ugly, false things he believed about himself – that has been haunting the imagery all along, so that he can truly be free. Overall, I was particularly inspired by the film Persona, visually and thematically. 

Take us through your process of creating this film. How long did it take to complete?

I originally wrote the script in October 2023 and sat on it for quite a few months before producing it for my cinematography and directing joint final. I played around with many ideas and inspiration in my head during those months in between, so I had a very clear vision by the time I was shooting. After sleepless nights of editing, I finished the film in May 2024 before the Diogenes Film Festival, where it won Filmmaker of the Future. 

What do you hope viewers receive from watching Ego?

I hope that Ego inspires people to look inward and face the negative things they believe about themselves – do you believe you’re a failure at everything like Aaron? Unlikeable? Unlovable? That you’re weak? A burden? That you don’t deserve to be happy? Look those beliefs in the eye, and you have already loosened their power and begun the journey of letting them go so that you can truly live and experience growth. 

What do you enjoy the most about Sonscreen? 

I always enjoy the diversity of films at Sonscreen. I am particularly a fan of how documentaries have risen in quantity and quality in recent years. It’s always thrilling and a little nerve-wracking as a filmmaker to see and hear others’ reactions to your work for the first time. 

What made you decide to attend PUC? 

I met the visual arts department at PUC during my first year at Sonscreen in 2022 and felt drawn to their individualistic, creative energy that I felt was unique from the other schools. I also had the desire to move to the West Coast and love the area of Northern California. 

How has attending PUC benefited you and your education? 

There have been many great advantages to pursuing a BFA in film at PUC’s visual arts department. We have access to a ton of fantastic equipment that I otherwise would not be able to use. The film program here really encourages us to be creative without fear and tell our stories. It’s also been very beneficial to collaborate with other amazing people with talents different from our own and create something we’re all proud of. 

How do you receive support from the department? 

My professors over the years – Tim de la Torre, Rajeev Sigamoney, Brian Kyle, Jon Carstens, Nephtali Marin, and Melissa Pratt – have all been wonderfully supportive and have grown what was once a small seed into a love for filmmaking and art, and have also pushed me to be confident in my work as an artist. They have always been there for all of us visual arts students whenever we need it and continually draw the best out of us. 

The collaboration I have been lucky to be a part of in the department touches my heart deeply – there’s nothing like the magic of a film set where everyone is doing their part or a group of scriptwriters on fire, bouncing ideas and lines off each other – all to create something larger than themselves. 

Can you share any future projects with us?

I’m beginning work on the pre-production of my senior thesis documentary, which I’m not ready to announce yet, but if you would like to hear more, you can follow my film and photo on Instagram @framed_by_mk.