SHERMAN OAKS—The independent film “Melissa” is not only winning awards but also making many people rethink how they live their lives. The young filmmaker Brittney Bomann took the appropriate courses in school to learn filmmaking, but being the daughter of ”˜80s icon Christopher Atkins, gave her a view of Hollywood at a very young age. Brittney, however, worked diligently to create her own niche in the entertainment world, and has done so with “Melissa.”

“Tommy, it’s dedicated to my cousin who died of a brain tumor at the age of 21 a few years ago, but the storyline is also created from a relationship I had with a person named Melissa. We wrote journals to each other, played in the sprinkler system at my home when we were kids, we went through child-heartaches together and good times, and confided everything in each other,” said filmmaker Bomann. The film is not only a fascinating story that is easily followed, but it’s also heartwarming. Though it does deal with life’s many challenges, the themes of love and friendship are never far from the viewer’s mind. This is most likely due to the youth and infectious wisdom by the film’s creative force, Brittney Bomann herself.

Bomann focused on the positive aspects of how her cousin’s mother was able to deal with her son Carl’s death. “Whenever an animal would come over and be near my aunt after my cousin died, she’s smile and say, look, this is Carl,” said Brittney. When the young girls were friends, Brittney accidentally broke her best friend’s nose. Later as a teen, the young girl had a nose job to fix the problems she was having such as migraine headaches from the once broken nose she had suffered. Brittney learned that her friend had died on the operating room table. “Luckily, she was saved and returned to us,” said Bomann. “But from that moment on, I remembered thinking, what if my best friend had died and I had never told her that I loved her?”

This is a story of love, friendship, ups and downs of life. “Melissa” will make you cry, make you laugh and rethink who you have in your life. There is often the idea that someone who is good to you belongs in your life long term. The problem comes when we do not make a distinction between true friendship and an acquaintance. The young moviemaker seems to know the difference. However, there are a few people who should remain in our lives and we need them to learn valuable life lessons from and ask for their help in making decisions in our future. Brittney Bomann has made a lot of great choices, not only as a young lady, but as a filmmaker in a very tough field. Just like her parents, she’s filled with beauty, style, great taste and she’s the epitome of a skilled and seasoned producer.

“Melissa” is a must-see film for any young girl or boy who is dealing with tough decisions today from school and family, to personal feelings and issues. Bomann is a true moviemaker of tomorrow in this business. She’s a bright light in Tinseltown.

“Melissa” can be seen at MelissaMovie.com