Christopher Meloni has turned up in an unexpected place: his daughter Sophia Meloni’s debut short film, Chop Cheese, which is headed for its world premiere at Palm Springs International ShortFest later this month. An exclusive clip from the film was released ahead of the festival launch, giving the first public look at a project that puts the family name on screen and behind the camera at the same time.
Michael Gandolfini also appears in the short, which is set against New York City bodega culture and follows a 16-year-old, Dante, as he moves through the fragile politics of teenage status in the city. Luca Rickman plays Dante, with Anki Alvarez Marquez and Dylan Frankel in other teenage roles. Sophia Meloni said the short grew out of a college story inspired by watching her younger brother’s teenage years in New York, adding that the bodega felt like the right place to capture the rhythms that shape a person.
The film looks like a family affair in the fullest sense. Christopher Meloni is credited as “Other Bodega Guy,” but he also took a production assistant credit and handled occasional grip duties, while Sherman Williams, his wife of 30 years, is credited as “Crafty.” Dante Meloni is listed as a production assistant, Lisa Rudin produced the film, and Sasha Waters served as animal wrangler. Michael Gandolfini and Mariska Hargitay also receive a special thank you at the end.
That mix of on-screen names and off-screen jobs gives Chop Cheese its appeal: a first-time filmmaker is bringing a personal story into the public eye with help from relatives who were willing to do whatever the set needed. Meloni, who has recently been in the news after Law & Order: Organized Crime was canceled and while he works on Dan Fogelman’s Hulu series The Land, said it was an honor to watch and help a young artist he loves take her first creative steps. What happens next is simple: the short now gets its first test in front of a festival audience in Palm Springs, where Sophia Meloni’s debut will either play as a small family project or as the start of a filmmaker worth watching.
