Max Hechtman

Max Bennett Hechtman ˈhɛktˈmɛn HEKTmen born April 26 1997 is an American filmmaker with experience producing narrative and documentary films He grew up in East Meadow New York and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology FIT from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Film and Media in 2019 He is motivated to use the art of film to bring attention to issues that challenge us intellectually and emotionally and open conversations that are difficult but can lead to change and positive outcomes Maxs films have been selected for screening at film festivals nationally including the short documentary Stories of Strength and Hope Preventing Youth Suicide which won Best Documentary at the 2019 Long Island International Film Expo and Abigail which won the Audience Award at the 2020 edition of the festival He is currently serving as an executive producer on Jason Forbachs short thriller The Delicate Medium and Critics Choice Award nominee Ben Cooks short dance drama Ball Socket both in postproduction and expected to play the festival circuit in 2027 He is also developing his first two original narrative feature films The Lens Within Me a semiautobiographical comingofage drama very loosely inspired by his adolescence and college experience as a young filmmaker and An Unshaken Step a smallerscale characterdriven social thriller set in the highpressure environment of high school championship basketball Max is also an avid enthusiast of musical theater and a personal goal of his is to adapt Broadway shows for film In addition to filmmaking Max has been working as a professional video editor for over the past decade He hopes to continue his work in production and postproduction and pursue film projects including short and featurelength narratives and documentaries that get people to think question and open conversations about subjects that are difficult but can lead to change and positive outcomes