Alex Mechanik

Last updated
Alex Mechanik
Born (1986-10-18) October 18, 1986 (age 37)
Tampa, Florida
Occupation Filmmaker
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2023)​

Alex Mechanik (born October 18, 1986) is an American filmmaker. For his work on the Todd Haynes drama May December , He was nominated alongside his wife Samy Burch at the 96th Academy Awards. [1]

Contents

Early life

Mechanik was raised in Tampa, Florida. [2] He graduated with a bachelor's degree from New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 2009. [3]

Career

After graduating from college, Mechanik worked as a production assistant on reality television programs such as The Apprentice . He served on the casting department for features such as Allegiant and Ant-Man , where he is credited as Woody Mechanik. [2]

Mechanik collaborated on a series of short films with his partner, Samy Burch. The pair later collaborated on the screenplay for May December , a 2023 feature directed by Todd Haynes and starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. Mechanik is also an editor for the "Open Door" video series produced by Architectural Digest . [2]

As of early 2024, Mechanik is set to direct a feature film starring O-Lan Jones for Gloria Sanchez Productions, the company that produced May December , based on a script he developed with Burch. [4] [2]

Personal life

While studying at New York University, Mechanik met Samy Burch, with whom he would collaborate on a number of short films as well as the story for May December . The pair married in 2023. [4]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleEditorWriterNotes
2013All You Can EatYesYesShort film;
Co-directed with Samy Burch
2016BevYesNo
2017Crown PrinceYesYes
2023 May December NoYesShares "Story by" credit with Samy Burch

Television

YearTitleNotes
2019 – 2020 Gourmet Makes Editor, 2 episodes
2020 – 2024 Architectural Digest Editor, 24 episodes
2024Almost Already FamousEditor, TV movie

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.
2014 Slamdance Film Festival Spirit of Slamdance AwardThe GreggsWon [lower-alpha 1] [5]
Best Narrative ShortNominated [lower-alpha 1]
2023 Indiana Film Journalists Association Best Original Screenplay May December Runner-up [lower-alpha 2] [6] [7]
Florida Film Critics Circle Best Original ScreenplayNominated [8]
Golden OrangeRunner-up
2024 Columbus Film Critics Association Best Original ScreenplayNominated [lower-alpha 2] [9] [10]
Online Association of Female Film Critics Best Original ScreenplayRunner-up [lower-alpha 2] [11]
Austin Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay Nominated [lower-alpha 2] [12]
North Dakota Film Society Best ScreenplayNominated [lower-alpha 2] [13]
Portland Critics Association Best ScreenplayNominated [lower-alpha 2] [14]
Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay Won [lower-alpha 2] [15]
Academy Awards Best Original Screenplay Nominated [lower-alpha 2] [16]
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Original Screenplay Nominated [lower-alpha 2] [17]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Shared with Brooke Bundy, Nigel DeFriez, Robert Malone, Kira Pearson, Jessie Levandov, and Jonathan Rosenblit
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Shared with cowriter Samy Burch

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Butler</span> American actor (born 1991)

Austin Robert Butler is an American actor. Butler began his career on television, first in roles on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, most notably on Zoey 101 (2007–2008), and later on teen dramas, including recurring parts on The CW's Life Unexpected (2010–2011) and Switched at Birth (2011–2012). He gained recognition for starring in The Carrie Diaries (2013–2014) and The Shannara Chronicles (2016–2017). Butler made his Broadway debut in the 2018 revival of The Iceman Cometh and portrayed Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino's film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).

Tom Cross is an American television and film editor. He is known for his collaborations with Damien Chazelle including Whiplash (2014) for which he won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing as well as La La Land (2016), and First Man (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomasin McKenzie</span> New Zealand actress (born 2000)

Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie is a New Zealand actress. A daughter of actress Miranda Harcourt, she began working as a teenager. After a minor role in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), she rose to critical prominence for playing a young girl living in isolation in Debra Granik's drama film Leave No Trace (2018), winning the National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance, as well as her role as Elsa Korr in the Academy Award-winning satirical comedy film Jojo Rabbit (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Melton</span> American actor (born 1991)

Charles Michael Melton is an American actor. He is known for his role as Reggie Mantle in the CW series Riverdale (2017–2023) and Joe Yoo in May December (2023). His critically praised performance in the latter earned him nominations for a Golden Globe Award and Critics Choice Award.

<i>May December</i> 2023 film by Todd Haynes

May December is a 2023 American drama film directed by Todd Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch, based on a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik. Loosely inspired by the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal, it stars Natalie Portman as an actress who travels to meet and study the life of Gracie, the controversial woman she is set to play in a film—a woman infamous for the 23-year-long relationship with her husband Joe, which began when he was 13 years old and she was 36.

<i>Past Lives</i> (film) 2023 film by Celine Song

Past Lives is a 2023 American romantic drama film written and directed by Celine Song in her feature directorial debut. Starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro, it follows two childhood friends over the course of 24 years while they contemplate the nature of their relationship as they grow apart, living different lives. The plot is semi-autobiographical and inspired by real events from Song's life.

Samy Burch is an American screenwriter. She is known for writing May December (2023), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

David Hemingson is an American writer and producer for film and television. He is best known for writing the critically acclaimed film The Holdovers, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

References

  1. ↑ Magidson, Joey. "Interview: Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik Talk About the 'Coyote vs. Acme' Controversy, Their 'May December' Oscar Nominations, and More!". Awards Radar. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Guzzo, Paul. "Tampa man co-wrote 'May December' starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  3. ↑ n.a. "2023 Gotham Award Nominees". Tisch School of the Arts. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  4. 1 2 Barber, Nicholas. "How 'May December' screenwriters hit the cinematic jackpot with their first produced spec script". Screen Daily. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  5. ↑ n.a. "Alex Mechanik - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  6. ↑ n.a. "2023 Award Nominees". Indiana Film Journalists Association. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Neglia, Matt (December 17, 2023). "The 2023 Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  8. ↑ Neglia, Matt. "The 2023 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  9. ↑ n.a. "Awards 2023 Nominees". Columbus Film Critics Association. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  10. ↑ n.a. "Awards 2023". Columbus Film Critics Association. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  11. ↑ n.a. (December 21, 2023). "AWARDS Online Association of Female Film Critics 2023 Awards – Winners". Online Association of Female Film Critics. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  12. ↑ Anderson, Erik. "Austin Film Critics Association Nominations (AFCA): 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' 'Oppenheimer' Lead with 10 Each". AwardsWatch. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  13. ↑ Neglia, Matt (January 15, 2024). "The 2023 North Dakota Film Society (NDFS) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  14. ↑ Neglia, Matt (January 15, 2024). "The 2023 Portland Critics Association (PCA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  15. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 5, 2023). "Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: Best Feature 'American Fiction', 'May December', 'All Of Us Strangers', 'Passages', 'Past Lives' & 'We Grown Now' — Live". Deadline. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  16. ↑ Gonzalez, Shivani (January 23, 2024). "Oscar Nominees 2024". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  17. ↑ n.a. "2024 Writers Guild Awards Nominees". Writers Guild of America. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.