Hannah Fidell

Hannah Margalit Fidell[1] (born October 7, 1985)[2] is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Her directorial debut was the drama film A Teacher (2013). She also wrote and directed the romantic drama film 6 Years (2015) and the comedy film The Long Dumb Road (2018).

Hannah Fidell
Fidell at SXSW in 2013
Born
Hannah Margalit Fidell

(1985-10-07) October 7, 1985
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma materIndiana University Bloomington
Occupation
  • Director
  • writer
  • producer
Years active2010–present
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 2017)​
Parents

Early life

Fidell was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Bethesda, Maryland. Her mother is Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Linda Greenhouse and her father is lawyer Eugene R. Fidell.[3][4] She studied film theory at Indiana University Bloomington, from which she graduated in 2007.[5] After graduating, Fidell worked at Ridley Scott's commercial production company in New York City, before leaving to study media at The New School.[6] At the time of making A Teacher, she was working part-time at a restaurant to subsidize her filmmaking.[7] In 2012, Filmmaker named Fidell one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film.[8] She is Jewish, as is her mother.[9][10]

Career

In 2010, Fidell wrote, directed, produced and acted in the film We're Glad You're Here. The following year, she wrote, directed and produced the short film The Gathering Squall (2011). She also produced the short film Man & Gun (2011).

Fidell wrote, directed, and produced the feature film A Teacher (2013), starring Lindsay Burdge and Will Brittain, which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2013. The film follows an affair between a high school teacher and her student. It was released in the United States on September 6, 2013 by Oscilloscope Laboratories.[11] In February 2014, it was announced that A Teacher would be adapted for television by HBO. Fidell will write and executive produce the series along with Danny Brocklehurst, the former showrunner of the UK television series Shameless.[12]

In June 2014, it was announced that Fidell had written and directed the drama film 6 Years, starring Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield in the lead roles. The film follows a long-term young couple who are about to graduate college, when events threaten to tear them apart.[13] The film had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 14, 2015.[14] Shortly after the film premiered, the global distribution rights were acquired by Netflix. The film was released on August 18, 2015 on iTunes, and globally through Netflix on September 8, 2015.[15]

Fidell subsequently co-wrote and directed her third feature-length film, The Long Dumb Road, starring Tony Revolori and Jason Mantzoukas in leading roles.[16] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2018.[17] Shortly after, Universal Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film, with a planned day-and-date limited release in November 2018.[18]

In April 2018, it was announced that Fidell and Doug Belgrad were developing a true crime series at Paramount Television based on Rachel Aviv's 2017 The New Yorker article "Remembering the Murder You Didn't Commit", with Fidell set to write and direct.[19]

Personal life

Fidell married artist Jake Longstreth on September 23, 2017 in Inverness, California.[20] Her brother-in-law is Dirty Projectors lead singer and guitarist David Longstreth.

Filmography
Year Film Functioned as Role Notes
Director Writer Producer Actor
2010 We're Glad You're Here Yes Yes Yes Yes Sarah
2011 The Gathering Squall Yes Yes Yes Short film
2011 Man & Gun Yes Short film
2013 A Teacher Yes Yes Yes
2015 6 Years Yes Yes
2016 The Road Yes Yes Yes Short film
2018 The Long Dumb Road Yes Yes Yes
2018 Casual Yes 2 episodes
2018 Sorry for Your Loss Yes Episode: "A Widow Walks into a Wedding"
2019 The Act Yes Episode: "Bonnie & Clyde"
2020 A Teacher Yes Yes Yes 6 episodes

Awards and nominations
Year Association Category Nominated work Result
2012 Champs-Élysées Film Festival US in Progress Official Selection A Teacher Won
2013 Just Film Award Best Youth Film Nominated
SXSW Film Festival Emerging Woman Award Won
Oldenburg International Film Festival German Independence Award – Audience Award Nominated
2015 SXSW Film Festival Grand Jury Award for Narrative Feature 6 Years Nominated
Champs-Élysées Film Festival Audience Award for Best American Feature Film Nominated

References
  1. Brennan, Elizabeth A.; Clarage, Elizabeth C. (1999). Who's who of Pulitzer Prize Winners. Greenwood Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 9781573561112. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  2. Greenhouse, Linda (July 13, 2008). "2,691 Decisions". The New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2017. Some 30 minutes into the first Monday in October 1985, my daughter, Hannah, came into the world.
  3. Cheney, Catherine (February 23, 2009). "Profile – The Greenhouse Effect". Yale Daily News.
  4. "84th Annual Meeting – Speakers Bios". American Law Institute. Archived from the original on May 19, 2007.
  5. Land, Karen (July 20, 2016). "The academy's diverse new Class of 2016 includes filmmaker and IU alum Hannah Fidell". Indiana University.
  6. "Media Studies Alumna's Film Premiers at Sundance Film Festival". The New School. January 22, 2013.
  7. Sneider, Jeff (January 20, 2013). "Sundance: 'A Teacher's' Hannah Fidell makes the grade". Variety.
  8. Dawson, Nick. "Hannah Fidell". Filmmaker.
  9. Brennan, Elizabeth A.; Clarage, Elizabeth C. (December 17, 1998). Who's who of Pulitzer Prize Winners. Greenwood. p. 6. ISBN 9781573561112.
  10. Prager, Dennis (May 4, 2010). "When Jews on the Left See Americans on the Right as Nazis". Jewish Journal. Another liberal Jewish commentator for The New York Times, Linda Greenhouse, likened the situation of illegal immigrants in Arizona to that of the Jews of Nazi-occupied Denmark.
  11. Rooney, David (January 18, 2013). "A Teacher: Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  12. Salovaara, Sarah (February 11, 2014). "Hannah Fidell's A Teacher To Be Adapted at HBO". Filmmaker.
  13. Kilday, Gregg (June 12, 2014). "Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield Starring in Hannah Fidell's New Feature". The Hollywood Reporter.
  14. Lattanzio, Ryan (February 4, 2015). "SXSW First Look: Hannah Fidell's '6 Years' Stars Farmiga and Rosenfield as a Couple in Crisis". IndieWire. Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  15. Lincoln, Ross A. (March 15, 2015). "Netflix Nabs Global Rights For Drama '6 Years' At SXSW 2015". Deadline Hollywood.
  16. Galuppo, Mia (April 12, 2017). "Jason Mantzoukas, Tony Revolori to Star in Indie Road Trip Film (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  17. Debruge, Peter (December 19, 2017). "Sundance Rounds Out 2018 Festival Lineup With Nearly a Dozen Late Additions". Variety. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  18. McNary, Dave (April 17, 2018). "Jason Mantzoukas' Sundance Comedy 'The Long Dumb Road' Acquired by Universal". Variety. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  19. Andreeva, Nellie (April 17, 2018). "Drama Series Based On True Crime Story In Works At Paramount TV From Hannah Fidell & 2.0 Entertainment". Deadline Hollywood.
  20. "Weddings: Hannah Fidell, Jake Longstreth". The New York Times. September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
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