Max Hechtman

Max Bennett Hechtman ( ; born April 26, 1997) is an American filmmaker, video editor and videographer known for his work on narrative and documentary films that explore social issues and human resilience. These include the documentary ''Stories of Strength and Hope: Preventing Youth Suicide'' (2018) and the short film ''Abigail'' (2019). A graduate of the Film and Media Program at the Fashion Institute of Technology, his films have played and been recognized at multiple film festivals including the Chelsea Film Festival, the Long Island International Film Expo and Portland Film Festival.

Early life and education

Hechtman grew up in East Meadow, New York and got interested in filmmaking at a young age, when he started filming the school events during his time at Woodland Middle School from 2010–2011. He would continue to do so upon entering his sophomore year at East Meadow High School, filming their sporting events and theater club productions of ''Guys and Dolls'', ''Once Upon a Mattress'' and ''Beauty and the Beast'', before graduating in 2015. He was named their "Homecoming King" during the 2014–2015 school year and won a Quill Award for Best Photo as part of Press Day 2015. At that same time, he also attended the Television Production and Digital Film Making program at Nassau BOCES' Joseph M. Barry Career & Technical Education Center in order to get his first hands-on experience in the field, with an anti-bullying campaign being one of his projects. It was also there where he became a member of the National Technical Honor Society. In 2019, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Film and Media from the Fashion Institute of Technology and was awarded the Film and Media Department Medal two years before. During his time there, he was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa and Delta Alpha Pi.

Career

2016–2018: Early works

Hechtman first ventured into narrative filmmaking with his first student short film, the romantic mystery drama ''I Am Here'' (2016), which was directed by his mentor, Christonikos Tsalikis. 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, as part of fellow students' Shona Neary and Sarah Langenbach's Bee Hives project for the Clinton Global Initiative. Both ''I Am Here'' and ''FIT Hives'' would go on to screen at the 2017 Long Island International Film Expo, kickstarting Hechtman's career outside of college.

In 2018, Hechtman made ''Stories of Strength and Hope: Preventing Youth Suicide''. The documentary was inspired by his seeing the musical ''Dear Evan Hansen'' on Broadway in 2017 and a 2008 assembly at Woodland Middle School 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 and the 2019 Long Island International Film Expo, winning the award for Best Documentary at the latter festival. It was through this film that one of Hechtman's professors, filmmaker Josh Koury, saw Hechtman's potential, saying "We try to encourage students to run with whatever they're passionate about. Sometimes it's a more personal film, sometimes it's a personal narrative. With Max, it's a topic that he felt was really important to him and he's seen in other media and really wanted to explore in this format."

2019–present: ''Abigail'' and recent projects

In 2019, Hechtman made his senior thesis film, ''Abigail'', which he co-directed and co-produced with Tsalikis and starred veteran actor Richie Allan in the lead role with co-stars Elvira Tortora and Leilani Marie Vasquez in their film acting debuts. 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. In order for the film to fit the assignment's 15–20 minute length requirement, Koury suggested to Hechtman that he expand the story, incorporating the plot details on how Abigail dies and the use of non-linear flashbacks, using the film adaptation of ''The Notebook'' (2004) and the opening "Married Life" sequence from the Disney/Pixar film '' Up'' (2009) as sources of inspiration. The film premiered during the FIT Film and Media Program's senior show on May 17, 2019 and was named a quarterfinalist in Stage 32's 5th Annual Short Film Contest. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 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. It also screened at the Portland Film Festival, the Golden Door Film Festival, the Long Beach International Film Festival and the Point Lookout Film Festival, winning the award for Best Film at the latter festival. On the film's discovered relevance during the pandemic, Hechtman remarked "I hope after people see ''Abigail'', they could open up conversations about end-of-life decisions and how it affects them and their loved ones ... I hope it could give people a path to healing and comfort in these unprecedented times." ''Indie Shorts Mag'' noted the influence of Michael Haneke's '' Amour'' (2012) on Hechtman and Tsalikis' direction of the film in terms of the use of symbolism to capture the emotional weight of the film's two elderly protagonists.

In 2020, Hechtman served as the visual designer and trailer editor for Bálint Varga's album musical/audiobook, ''d'ILLUSION: The Houdini Musical'', which was inspired by the life of illusionist/stunt performer Harry Houdini (played by Julian R. Decker). Hechtman also produced a documentary about the making of the audiobook, which was released on YouTube and Vimeo on December 10, 2020.

From 2022–2024, as a side project, Hechtman edited multiple supercuts comparing the 1961 and 2021 film adaptations of the musical ''West Side Story'', all of which he uploaded to his YouTube channel. The supercut he edited of the musical number "America" went viral with over one million views and was featured in an article for ''Collider'' on "10 Great Movies That Had a Decades-Long Gap Between Them and Their Remake."

In 2023, Hechtman served as colorist on his friend Nathan Siegelaub and Ania Gruszczyńska's debut documentary film ''Sparni'', which the latter two produced for the completion of their studies at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. The film, which followed young jazz vibraphonist Pierce "Sparni" Sparnroft preparing for a junior recital at Montclair State University in New Jersey under the guidance of professor Steve Nelson, all while dealing with the repercussions of mental illness, premiered at the school's DocFest on December 9, 2023. It began its film festival run at the 2024 Long Island International Film Expo on July 12, 2024, which was followed by screenings at the 2024 Long Beach International Film Festival on July 26, 2024 and at Westchester Community College in October 2024. It is currently seeking distribution via streaming.

Upcoming projects

As of January 2024, Hechtman is in the early screenwriting stages of his first original narrative feature film, ''The Lens Within Me'', a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama very loosely inspired by his adolescence and college experience as a young filmmaker. He is also set to co-executive produce Jason Forbach's short thriller film ''The Delicate Medium'' alongside singer and actress Sara Bareilles.

Filmmaking style

Influences

Hechtman has cited the films of Steven Spielberg, Rob Marshall, Tom Hooper, Jean-Luc Godard, Yorgos Lanthimos, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, David Fincher, Terrence Malick, Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan and Damien Chazelle as influences on his work. He also cited Frank Capra's ''It's a Wonderful Life'' (1947) as one of his favorite films as it served as a heavy influence on some of the storytelling techniques found in his work.

Method and themes

Through his films, Hechtman sometimes uses frenetic editing to add tension and rhythmic pacing, based on Damien Chazelle's work in ''Whiplash'' (2014). His visual style frequently involves hand-held camera movement, the framing of actors and/or objects on the far left or right sides of the screen and using wide-angle lenses and dutch angles in creative ways, based largely on Tom Hooper's work in ''Les Misérables'' (2012) and ''The King's Speech'' (2010). Most of Hechtman's films deal with contemporary social issues, such as climate change, sustainability, mental health, social media and mobile technology, the latter three he explored in ''Stories of Strength and Hope: Preventing Youth Suicide'' (2018). His films also draw on some of his life experience, particularly the grieving process that follows the loss of a loved one, as explored in ''Abigail'' (2019). Hechtman explained that having his films focus on these topics presents the opportunity to "open a conversation about subjects that are uncomfortable and avoided until it's too late."

Personal life

Hechtman currently resides in East Meadow. He was raised Jewish. His mother, Meryl Hechtman, helped him with the expansion of the screenplay on ''Abigail'' and served as an executive producer. His late father, Alan Hechtman, served under the Wantagh-Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corps (WLVAC) and was one of the first responders who survived the September 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center and died from 9/11-related acute leukemia on May 11, 2010. Hechtman also has a younger brother, Evan Hechtman, who was born two years after him. One of Hechtman's aunts is Rhysling Award-winning poet Lana Hechtman Ayers, Alan's younger sister. One of Hechtman's grandparents is late economics professor Joseph Weintraub, who had a teaching career that lasted over 53 years. Outside of filmmaking, Hechtman currently works as a video editor for Christonikos Tsalikis' Long Island-based video production company Reel Life Cinematography.

Philanthropic work

In 2010, Hechtman, at age 13, donated a collection of 50 children's books and DVDs focusing on the theme of character education to the East Meadow Public Library in honor of his bar mitzvah, which took place months before. Reflecting on the experience, Hechtman remarked "I realized that books and movies were great ways to increase student awareness about values such as kindness, compassion, friendship, teamwork and taking care of the environment ... I saw how even I, as one individual, could make a difference by bringing an idea to life." For his efforts, Hechtman was presented with a citation from Norma Gonsalves of the Nassau County Legislature at a ceremony that took place at the library on October 6, 2010. In 2020, Hechtman used his time working remotely while quarantining at home due to the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to voluntarily make Mother’s Day and Father’s Day photo/video montages for the families of essential workers in the East Meadow area.

Filmography

Narrative films

Special thanks
* ''Impulsion'' (TBA)
* ''You Haunt Me'' (TBA)

Documentary films

Television

Music video

Cameo appearances

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*

Official Website

Max Hechtman
on Mubi
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hechtman, Max
1997 births
American documentary filmmakers
American documentary film directors
American documentary film producers
American film editors
American male screenwriters
American cinematographers
Videographers
People from East Meadow, New York
Film producers from New York (state)
Film directors from New York (state)
Jewish American screenwriters
Jewish film people
Jews from New York (state)
Screenwriters from New York (state)
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American Jews
21st-century American screenwriters
Fashion Institute of Technology alumni
East Meadow High School alumni
Living people