The Femmebots

Melanie Feliciano

April 26, 2012

The Policy of Truth (Fiction)
A 40-something mother of two and CEO of a music company must suddenly halt the pace of her life when her father dies of a heart attack. She suddenly feels as if her foundation has been pulled from underneath her feet and she can’t go about her daily activities as she used to. One late morning, as she slumbers under the weight of depression, she finds out that she was adopted. As if the death of her father were not enough to make her lose her footing, now she has no idea who she is or who is the man she once called father. Eventually Grace finds ground with the help of her 2 children, who force her out of bed and back into the world. This hour-long drama for Lifetime was inspired by my best friend in college who is mourning the death of her father.

The History of Health Care Reform (Non-Fiction)
In the early 1990s, the Clinton Administration began pushing universal health care for all Americans, but the movement for health care reform actually began at the beginning of the 20th century. In this hour-long documentary, we follow a recently retired senior citizen, a low-income child with developmental disabilities and a 30-something single woman who works as a freelancer as they navigate the American health care system interspersed with analysis from researchers at the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP). Where Michael Moore’s “Sicko” offers perspective on the US vs. free health care in other countries, this documentary will focus on the state level. This idea is inspired by my client, NASHP, which has been producing reports on state health care since 1985, and would be most appropriate for a Discovery or TLC market.

Melanie Feliciano

April 19, 2012

I Love Bob Horn (Fiction)
Sasha Brown, a teenaged girl in the 1950s, rushes home everyday after school to watch Bob Horn on American Bandstand. A native of Philadelphia, Sasha becomes the luckiest girl in school when she suddenly finds herself on the show and catches the attention of Horn, who invites her out on a date. She of course is not allowed to date, but she sneaks out of her house and ends up in Horn’s car as he is driving drunk. They get pulled over and arrest Horn, who eventually gets replaced by Dick Clark. Sasha is both scandalized and catapulted to celebrity status in school and the local media, and we watch her struggle through the emotions of fame and misfortune. Inspired by Dick Clark’s passing this week.

Prague Photo Festival (Non-Fiction)
This festival is celebrating its fifth year this month in a city that is known for its photographic cityscape. Tereza Vlčková’s debut of tongue-in-cheek photos of girls at the second edition of Prague Photo Festival led to gallery representation in Paris and New York City. In this documentary, we follow Tereza during 3 weeks in her life as a working photographer traveling around the world. A good market for this feature would be Nickelodeon or PBS to show young people how they can make a living in the arts.

Melanie Feliciano

April 12, 2012

The Jacuzzi Boys (Non-Fiction)
In this one-hour rockumentary, follow a Miami-based boy band that is rising in the ranks of popularity as they tour Europe. Their 60s surf sound and lyrics about girls and cruising take Baby Boomers back through time while adding 21st century twists only the Internet generation would understand. Hosted by VelocityLab Zine editor Johnny Tsokos, audiences will be entertained by these wacky band members as they learn that Miami’s sound machine is producing much more than Latin beats.

The Entrepreneurs (Fiction)
A group of techies living in economically depressed Greece develop an app for mobile devices that goes viral and gets the attention of the local media. The techies are excited but their parents, who believe working for the government is a much better and secure way to make a living, will not support them in going to Silicon Valley to meet with potential investors and buyers. This story is inspired by an NPR story about the 50% unemployment rate of young people in Greece, and the rising entrepreneurial wave occurring as a result.

Melanie Feliciano

April 5, 2012

Soul Retrievals (Fiction)

Ever since Niali broke up with her boyfriend three months ago, she has felt incomplete, like a walking zombie. One day, on her way home from work, she stops into a Native American craft store where a clerk sitting behind the cash register notices the hollow girl and gives her a business card for a Shaman who can help her retrieve her soul. Niali is skeptical at first, but then she finds herself calling the phone number and going through a ritual that makes her feel like she has returned to her own body. This story is inspired by a Google search that produced a Web site about Native American Shamanic practices.

Making ADHD Marriages Work (Documentary)

Julian and Maria just got married. Their courtship was a whirlwind. Now that they are settled down, Julian is noticing something different about Maria. She doesn’t pick up her clothes, she forgets their dates and spends an inordinate amount of time on the computer everyday. This hour-long documentary follows four couples where one or both partners have been clinically diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This idea was inspired by two friends who just got married with the full knowledge that they both have ADHD, but feel that they can work through it since they already know how the other’s mind works.

Melanie Feliciano

March 29, 2012

What Is Home? (Feature Film)
A runaway, Monica, who has been on the road for 18 years bumps into Eduardo, a jet-setting traveler, in a city park during an outdoor concert and they instantly fall in love. Monica loves electronic music while Eduardo is more inclined toward acoustic, traditional music. After a year of having fun attending music concerts, cooking food with friends and traveling to exotic destinations, Monica starts to wonder if she can make a home with Eduardo, but he is resistant and tells Monica he is not ready to make such a long-term decision. Monica is exhausted and desperately wants to make a home for herself, but she doesn’t know where or with whom. In this story, she tries to define for herself, “What is Home?” Inspired by my work leading writing workshops for runaways in San Francisco, this would be a feature film.

The Squash Player (TV Drama)

A young business executive who plays weekly squash with his superiors starts to become better at playing squash than at finding new business opportunities. He is about to play in a big tournament at the same time he will find out if his boss is going to pursue his latest business proposal. In this hour-long TV drama, the business executive battles his own hang-ups and fears about being number-one vs number-two by using the squash game as a metaphor for the game he must play in the office. Inspired by a friend who is playing in a squash tournament.