Mélanie Akoka is a cinematographer based in New Orleans.

She is committed to bold and honest filmmaking and drawn to challenging subjects and environments.

Born and raised in France and of North African descent, Melanie studied philosophy before working at a post-production and film lab where she developed her skills as an editor as well as her comfort with celluloid. A recent MFA graduate from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, her work has been shown at festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, TIFF and SXSW. She is the recipient of the 2021 Arri Volker Bahnemann award for outstanding cinematography. Melanie recently completed photography on her first feature, Basileia, director Isabella Torre, which premiered at Venice 2024.