Born in Azerbaijan, Anna Melikian grew up in Armenia and currently lives in Moscow, where she studied directing at the Russian State Cinematography Institute. Between 1995 and 1997 she worked as a TV writer and director, an advertising copywriter and an assistant director on various musical shows for television. In 1998 she directed the opening and closing ceremonies for the Moscow International Film Festival. She co-wrote the screenplay for the short film Slight Dizziness, which received an award for best screenplay at the Russian State Cinematography Institute film festival.