NEW YORK – Ioanna Meli is a Los Angeles-based actress, born and raised in Athens, Greece. She is the female lead part in the short film Life in Color, an Official Selection in the Emerging Filmmakers Showcase at Cannes International Film Festival 2018. The story is about an aging, closeted gay man with Alzheimer’s who struggles against his strong-willed daughter to hold on to the memory of the long lost love of his life.

Meli spoke with The National Herald about the experience of making Life in Color. She said, “Working with the team of Life in Color and playing the role of Beth was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as an actor so far.”

“Beth’s torment in trying to understand her father and the childhood she was deprived of, while fighting her own beliefs was a challenging journey to go on,” Meli noted.

She continued, “Bishal Dutta’s direction was insightful and clear, yet allowed for the building of the characters and the relationships between them to develop organically. The story touches upon sensitive issues and is told in such a way that really draws the audience in to the characters’ conflicting realities. I’m truly grateful to have been a part of this story.”

Meli earned a BA in Drama & Theatre Arts from Goldsmiths College University of London, an MFA in Acting for Film from the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, and a Certificate in Acting for the Camera from UCLA School of Theatre, Film & TV.

Her most notable work includes Steven Spielberg’s documentary Auschwitz where her voice is heard along with that of Meryl Streep and the leading part in Dwayne Johnson’s viral video Ascendance which heralded the well-known actor’s YouTube channel.

More information about Ioanna Meli is available on her IMDB page and her official website: www.ioannameli.com.

The 2018 Cannes Film Festival takes place May 8-19.