As one of South Africa’s most respected producers, Melina has produced for a number of top directors, clients and agencies on both global and local campaigns, created some of South Africa’s iconic work and won multiple awards locally and internationally along the way.

In 2014 she took the bold step of starting Darling Films with her partner Lorraine Smit. Their vision? To develop talent; do unexpected work and produce excellence. Seven years later, their 100% female owned company has grown into a stable of the most awarded, diverse, multi-talented directors whose work has won a slew of the worlds’ most highly prestigious awards – most recently Glass, Gold and Silver Lions, One Show; Clios; South Africa’s first ever Webby award; Loerie Grand Prix & Gold and of course a Commendation at the Immortal Awards; put Darling in the first ranking on the ididthatad awards table for two years running as well as being voted by Mark Lives as the company most admired for production excellence for both 2019 and 2020.