East Coast roots, Minnesota bred, Los Angeles living.

Michelle is a narrative director whose films center around female-driven stories that depict hope and healing through sincere characters and grounded tones. An activist through her art, her work sparks conversation around social issues and she often quotes Dr. César A. Cruz: “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”

Her latest short drama, Lineage, starring Cailin Peluso (Law & Order: SVU) and Christopher Callen (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), is based on a true story about three generations of women and their experience with abortion during the Great Depression. Lineage hits the festival circuit in 2025.

Her short dark comedy, Lesbophilia, starring Vico Ortiz (Our Flag Means Death), Maya Nalli (The Upshaws), and Lana Parrilla (Once Upon A Time), is about radical acceptance within relationships even when extremely uncomfortable, winning Stage 32’s Short Film Contest, Wicked Queer: Boston's “Best in Show”, FilmOut San Diego's "Best Short Film Female," and was an Official Selection at two Oscar-qualifying festivals (HollyShorts and Out On Film: Atlanta) in 2024.

Her short drama, Cosmic Love, premiered at the 2022 Pasadena International Film Festival and won "Best Female Empowerment" film at the San Diego International Film Awards.

With 17 years working in entertainment, Michelle has been hired by studios and independent companies alike as a producer, assistant director, and actor, including Disney, NBCUniversal, Fox, Plan B, Lifetime, and the Duplass Brothers. She's a graduate of the UCLA TFT Program for Acting and a member of the DGA. In addition to filmmaking, Michelle teaches at Columbia College Chicago’s Semester in LA program, volunteers with Friends of Griffith Park, and taught yoga for years in the federal prison system.