Max Hechtman
Max Bennett Hechtman (born April 26, 1997) is an American filmmaker born in New York, New York. He is known for his 2018 documentary, Stories of Strength and Hope: Preventing Youth Suicide and the 2019 narrative short film, Abigail.[1][2][3]
Max Hechtman | |
|---|---|
 Hechtman at the 2019 Long Island International Film Expo. | |
| Born | Max Bennett Hechtman April 26, 1997 New York, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | East Meadow High School |
| Alma mater | Fashion Institute of Technology (BS) |
| Occupation | Cinematographer, Producer, Writer, Director, Editor |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Website | http://www.maxbhechtman.com/ |
Life and career
Hechtman grew up in East Meadow, New York and graduated from East Meadow High School in 2015.[4] He earned his bachelor of science degree in Film and Media in 2019 from the Fashion Institute of Technology and was awarded the Film and Media Department Medal two years before.
Most of Hechtman's films deal with contemporary social issues, such as climate change, sustainability, mental health, social media and mobile technology. The latter issues were highlighted in his first student film, I Am Here (2016).[5]
In 2016, he produced the documentary, FIT Hives: Sustainability - The Secret to Survival, which documents the genesis of the Hives project of the Fashion Institute of Technology.[6]
In 2018, Hechtman made Stories of Strength and Hope: Preventing Youth Suicide. The documentary was inspired by his seeing Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway[7] and a Middle School assembly given by suicide/bullying prevention advocate John Halligan about his son, Ryan Halligan, who died by suicide in 2003. The film covers the subject matter from the perspectives of the family, someone with a lived experience, clinician and the media. The documentary was screened at the 2018 Chelsea Film Festival. It also was screened and won the Best Documentary award at the 2019 Long Island International Film Expo.[8]
In 2019, Hechtman made his senior thesis film, Abigail, which he co-directed and co-produced with Christonikos Tsalikis. The film was adapted from a one-scene screenplay by Jason K. Allen and inspired by a true story dealing with the subject matter of end-of-life decisions.[9] The film was named a quarterfinalist in Stage 32's 5th Annual Short Film Contest. Its first public screening took place virtually at the 2020 Long Island International Film Expo, where it won the Audience Award, and was nominated for Best Short Film, Best Long Island Short Film and Best Director.[10]
In 2020, Hechtman served as the visual designer and trailer editor for Bálint Varga's audiobook, d'ILLUSION: The Houdini Musical. Hechtman also produced a documentary about the making of the audiobook, which was released on December 10, 2020.[11][12]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Cooking with Kefi | Assistant editor | Television series |
| 2015 | Forgiveness | Director, writer, cinematographer, editor | Narrative short film |
| 2015 | Remembering Isabelle | Director, cinematographer, editor | Narrative short film |
| 2016 | Eat Your Vegetables | Camera operator, editor, lighting | Narrative short film |
| 2016 | Messenger | Director, camera operator, editor | Narrative short film |
| 2016 | FIT Hives: Sustainability - The Secret to Survival | Video production manager, cinematographer, editor | Documentary short film |
| 2016 | I Am Here | Producer, story, camera operator, editor | Narrative short film |
| 2017 | Generation Rescue | Cinematographer, editor | Documentary short film |
| 2017 | Pathways to Climate Success | Co-director, producer, cinematographer, editor | Documentary short film |
| 2017 | So Tiri: Thes Pastítsio | Assistant editor | Music video |
| 2018 | Finger Lakes: A Place for Everyone | Director, editor | Narrative short film |
| 2018 | Deadline | Director, producer, writer, cinematographer, editor | Narrative short film |
| 2018 | Stories of Strength and Hope: Preventing Youth Suicide | Director, producer, cinematographer, editor | Documentary short film |
| 2019 | Abigail | Co-director, co-producer, writer, camera operator, editor | Narrative short film |
| 2020 | The Magic Behind d'ILLUSION: The Houdini Musical - The Audio Theater Experience | Director, producer, editor, visual/marketing designer | Documentary short film |
- Cameo appearances
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall | Concert film |
| 2020 | The Magic Behind d'ILLUSION: The Houdini Musical - The Audio Theater Experience | Documentary short film |
Awards and nominations
Film festival awards
| Year | Festival | Film | Award | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Fashion Film Festival Chicago | FIT Hives: Sustainability - The Secret to Survival | Eco Sustainable Award | Won | |
| 2019 | Long Island International Film Expo | Stories of Strength and Hope: Preventing Youth Suicide | Best Documentary | Won | |
| 2020 | Stage 32 5th Annual Short Film Contest | Abigail | Quarterfinalist | Won | [13] |
| Long Island International Film Expo | Audience Award | Won | [14] | ||
| Best Short Film | Nominated | ||||
| Best Long Island Short Film | Nominated | ||||
| Best Director | Nominated | Directed with Christonikos Tsalikis |
References
- Stieglitz, Brian. "E.M. filmmaker tackles youth suicide in his next documentary | Herald Community Newspapers". liherald.com. Archived from the original on 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
- Desk, TV News. "Long Island International Film Expo Announces Award Winners at Closing Event". BroadwayWorld.com.
- "East Meadow filmmaker wins Best Documentary at local festival". Herald Community Newspapers.
- "Making it to the big screen". Herald Community Newspapers.
- "Local student shoots film at Herald offices". Herald Community Newspapers.
- "FIT's Happy Bees". FIT Newsroom. July 26, 2017.
- Spake, Nick. "What We Know About The "Dear Evan Hansen" Movie So Far". WatchMojo.com.
- Press, Long Island (July 8, 2019). "Long Island International Film Expo Returns to Bellmore".
- Stieglitz, Brian (September 22, 2020). "East Meadow filmmaker nominated for three awards at local festival". Herald Community Newspapers. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- "Archives". The Long Island International Film Expo. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- Desk, BWW News. "d'ILLUSION: The Houdini Musical Releases Theater Audio Experience". BroadwayWorld.com.
- Stieglitz, Brian (December 15, 2020). "East Meadow filmmaker documents a new form of music theater". Herald Community Newspapers. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- LLC, Stage 32. "5th Annual Stage 32 Short Film Program Contest". Stage 32. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- "Archives". The Long Island International Film Expo. Retrieved 2020-10-12.