Max Bennett Hechtman (/ˈhɛktˈmɛn/ HEKT-men; 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. Max's 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 Forbach's short thriller "The Delicate Medium" and Critics' Choice Award nominee Ben Cook's short dance drama "Ball & Socket," both in post-production 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 semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama very loosely inspired by his adolescence and college experience as a young filmmaker, and "An Unshaken Step," a smaller-scale character-driven social thriller set in the high-pressure 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 post-production and pursue film projects, including short and feature-length 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.
