salty features

Salty Features is an independent film production company founded in 2003 by producing partners Eva Kolodner and Yael Melamede. Salty’s goal is to make feature films that showcase unique vision, strong storytelling, and thought-provoking subject matter.

Salty’s current film, BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN, premiered at Sundance 2009 in Dramatic Competition. Based on the book by David Foster Wallace, the film was written and directed by John Krasinski and features an ensemble cast that includes Julianne Nicholson, Tim Hutton, Bobby Cannavale, Max Minghella, Ben Shenkman and Dominic Cooper. Salty’s last film, Paul Auster’s THE INNER LIFE OF MARTIN FROST, opened MoMA’s New Directors/New Films festival and was released by New Yorker Films in the fall of 2007. Salty’s next projects include the romantic comedy FINN AT THE BLUE LINE, written by Anya Epstein and Dan Futterman and starring Sarah Jessica Parker; a documentary film featuring Mariane Pearl, directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine; and the thriller MARTYRS’ CROSSING set in the midst of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, written by Naomi Wallace and Bruce Mcleod, based on the bestseller by Amy Wilentz.

Kolodner got her start in the independent film industry as a part of the original team at Christine Vachon’s renegade indie production company, Killer Films, working her way up on such iconic indie films as KIDS, I SHOT ANDY WARHOL, SAFE and HAPPINESS. While working with Killer, Kolodner produced the Academy Award-winning film BOYS DON’T CRY. In 2000, she became Head of Production at Madstone Films, where she produced RHINOCEROS EYES, directed by newcomer Aaron Woodley and starring Michael Pitt, which won the prestigious Discovery Award at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. Kolodner has been nominated for the Independent Spirit Producer's Award, and in 2002 was selected for Crain’s New York Business’ “40 Under 40.” Kolodner holds a B.A. from Yale University.

Melamede was a co-producer on the Oscar-nominated documentary feature MY ARCHITECT, directed by Nathaniel Kahn, about the prominent architect Louis I. Kahn. In 2000, Melamede joined Madstone Films, a unique digital production, distribution and exhibition company, as their Production Supervisor. Prior to that, Melamede worked as a post-production supervisor on such films as Wayne Wang’s THE CENTER OF THE WORLD, Paul Schrader’s FOREVER MINE, and Paul Auster’s LULU ON THE BRIDGE, to name just a few. Melamede was trained and worked as an architect in London, NY and Tel Aviv, before making her career shift to film in the mid 90s. Melamede holds a B.A. and M.Arch. from Yale University.