For her first FILM role in ACHTUNG, FERTIG, CHARLIE! (directed by Mike Eschmann) in 2003, Melanie Winiger earned widespread acclaim from critics and the general public. With a box office in excess of 550.000, the comedy became one of the most successful Swiss films of all time. She subsequently studied acting for two years at the renowned Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in Los Angeles. In 2005 Melanie Winiger was nominated for the Undine Award in the Best Newcomer category for her debut role in ACHTUNG, FERTIG, CHARLIE! In the same year, she played the female lead in the TV social drama SONJAS RÜCKKEHR (directed by Tobias Ineichen). In Switzerland, screenings were attended by more than 600.000 TV viewer. In 2006 Melanie Winiger won the Best Actress category of the TV Star Award and gained a nomination in the Showbusiness category at the Swiss Awards. She also appeared in the American comedy LOVE MADE EASY (directed by Peter Luisi and filmed in Los Angeles), playing the female lead alongside Oscar winner Martin Landau. She subsequently appeared in the highly regarded cinema drama BREAKOUT (directed by Mike Eschmann) in 2006, the made-for-TV film HELDIN DER LÜFTE (directed by Mike Huber) in 2007 and opposite Carlos Leal in the short film BRANDSTIFTER (directed by Felix von Muralt) in 2008. SINESTESIA (directed by Eric Bernasconi), her first motion picture in her second language of Italian, premièred at the 45th Solothurner Filmtagen festival in 2010 to widespread acclaim and positive reviews. She was nominated Best Actress at the Swiss Quartz film awards for her portrayal of Michela. In the same year Winiger took the supporting role of Angie in the Swiss-German TV film production SONNTAGSVIERER (directed by Sabine Boss). In 2010 Melanie Winiger played Luna in the German comedy RESTURLAUB (directed by Gregor Schnitzler and shot in Germany and Argentina), and portrayed the murderer Marlene in the Swiss 3D horror film ONE WAY TRIP (directed by Markus Welter). In 2013 she played the female lead in the Hollywood comedy WHO KILLED JOHNNY, directed by Yangzom Brauen. For this part she was nominated Best Actress at the HOBOKEN International Film Festival 2013 in New York. In 2014/2015 and 2016 Melanie Winiger stood in front of the camera in three German TV- and cinema productions. In Marrokko, she performed as co-lead actress Nazima on the side of Rainer Lauterbach in two sequels of the German TV-event-movie SPUREN DER RACHE (Director: Niki Müllerschön). And in the new episodes of the ARD crime series MORDKOMMISSION ISTANBUL, Melanie plays the coroner Derya Güzel on the side of Erol Sander (Director: Marc Brummund). In the spring of 2017 the cult comedy LOMMBOCK comes to the cinemas in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. At the side of Mortitz Bleibtreu and Lucas Gregorowicz Melanie plays the Arab Businesswoman Yasemin (Director: Christian Zübert). In 2018, the second season of the international TV Series THE TEAM 2 startet on European TV channels. Melanie played in the German investigative team with Inspector Jürgen Vogel and Max Hubacher (Director: Kasper Gaardsøe/Jannik Johansen). In 2018, Melanie stepped behind the camera as executive producer of the award winning feature documentary #femalepleasure (Director: Barbara Miller, Produced by Philip Delaquis).
FILMOGRAPHY
2018 Executive Producer intl. cinema documentary #femalepleasure
2016 Supporting role as Yasemin in the German cult comedy LOMMBOCK
2015 – 2017 Specially created role as coroner Derya Güzel in MORDKOMMISION ISTANBUL – D (TV serial)
2015 Co-female lead in the two sequels event-movie RACHE – D (TV movie)
2013 Female lead in WHO KILLED JOHNNY (cinema release)
2010 Female lead in the 3D horror film ONE WAY TRIP (cinema release)
2010 Female lead in the German cinema comedy RESTURLAUB (cinema release)
2009 Supporting role in TV movie SONNTAGSVIERER (TV movie)
2009 Female lead in the comedy-drama SINESTESIA (cinema release)
2008 Supporting role in short film BRANDSTIFTER
2007 Female lead in TV movie HELDIN DER LÜFTE (TV movie)
2006 Female lead in teen drama BREAKOUT (cinema release)
2006 Female lead in the road movie LOVE MADE EASY (US cinema release)
2005 Female lead in the social drama SONJAS RÜCKKEHR (TV movie)
2003 Female lead in the cinema comedy ACHTUNG, FERTIG, CHARLIE! (cinema release)
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
2013 Nominated “Best Actress” at the Hoboken international Film Festival, New York, for female lead in WHO KILLED JOHNNY
2010 Swiss Film Award ‘Quartz 2010’, nominated” Best Actress”
2006 Swiss TV Star Award, “Best Actress” category
2006 Swiss Awards nomination in “Showbusiness” category
2005 Undine Award nomination as “Best Newcomer” for the feature film ACHTUNG, FERTIG, CHARLIE!
EDUCATION
2009-2011 Student projects at Caravanserai Production/Giles Forman in London
2004-2005 Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Los Angeles