Melvonna Ballenger

Melvonna "Mel" Marie Ballenger (August 6, 1954 – June 25, 2003) was an American director, producer, and writer who created activist short films, known for her involvement in the L.A. Rebellion film movement. She died at the age of 48 from breast cancer.

Career Ballenger's first film was Rain (Nyesha), which she directed in 1978 during her time at UCLA. The film, which includes John Coltrane's song "After the Rain," depicts a typist who becomes increasingly politically empowered. It received an honorable mention at Los Angeles's Black Talkies on Parade festival in 1982.

Ballenger's film Nappy-Headed Lady, later renamed "Pigtail Blues", was mentioned by the Star-Gazette newspaper as a "story of a black woman who changes her her hair style as she begins to appreciate her racial heritage". The film uses a mix of original video and documentary footage from the 1960s to explore the impact of Eurocentric beauty standards on Black women.

Recognition John William mentioned Ballenger in his article, "Daughters of the Diaspora: A Filmography of Sixty-Five Black Women Independent Film- and Video-Makers". Ballenger's student work at UCLA as part of the L.A. Rebellion helped her gain acknowledgment as an up-and-coming African American filmmaker.

Films Rain (Nyesha) (1978, director) Gidget Meets Hondo (1980, script) Nappy-Headed Lady (1983, director) Dreadlocks and the Three Bears (1991, cinematographer) Fragrance (1991, sound mixer)