Alek Abate is a filmmaker based out of New York City, and originally from Jacksonville, Florida. He graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Philosophy from Dartmouth College in 2017, and is currently completing his second year as a Screenwriter/Director in Columbia University’s Film MFA program. Prior to Columbia, he worked as a middle school English teacher, community organizer, legal policy analyst, and vegan activist. In his writing and directing work, he focuses on subaltern perspectives and the collision between high and low culture. Some of his filmmaking inspirations include the works of Mia Hansen-Løve, Gus Van Sant, Tsai Ming-Liang, and Claire Denis.