Michele Ohayon- "Steal a Pencil For Me", Director/Producer

Michele Ohayon is an award winning writer, director and producer with over fifteen years professional film making experience.  Ohayon was born in Casablanca and raised in Israel, where she graduated from Tel Aviv University with a degree in Film/Television, with an emphasis on Directing.

At the age of nineteen, Ohayon directed, produced, and edited her first film “Lo Naim”(1980).  A variety of fiction and non-fiction films followed, including the 1984 critically acclaimed drama “Lahatz/Pressure”, which won the 1984 Best Israeli Film award. 

After living in Europe for several years, Ohayon moved to Los Angeles in 1987.  While there, she directed her American debut film “Salamander”(1987), which aired on ShowTime.  In 1992, Ohayon directed the award winning feature length documentary, “It Was A Wonderful Life”(1993), narrated by Jodie Foster and winner of the Houston Film Festival's Gold Award.  Ohayon's 1997 feature length documentary “Colors Straight Up”, won numerous film festival awards and was nominated for an Academy Award.

For her body of work, Ohayon received the 1996 Artist Grant  from the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.  She is a founding board member of CineWomen and an honorary board member of Colors United/Living Literature, as well as YKO.  Her goal as a filmmaker is to make films that open hearts and minds.