Melissa Lyde is a Brooklyn-born artist, writer, and curator committed to expanding how we experience Black cinema and experimental moving-image work. With a deep belief in the power of community and cultural memory, her practice bridges Black speculative traditions, diasporic storytelling, and underground film cultures. She is the founder of Alfreda’s Cinema, an acclaimed screening series and platform that reimagines cinema as a space for gathering, healing, and re-enchantment.
Lyde is known for her intuitive, immersive approach to curation—bringing warmth, intellect, and intention to every screening. Her work has taken shape across NYC’s leading cultural spaces, including BAM, Metrograph, Film Forum, and Light Industry, as well as in journals like Framework, BloodVine, and Screen Slate. Currently developing a dedicated film space in Brooklyn, Lyde continues to champion radical film histories and joyful collective experiences through a distinctly Black and visionary lens.