Alek Abate is a filmmaker originally from Jacksonville, Florida and currently based in New York City. He graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Philosophy from Dartmouth College in 2017, and is presently pursuing an MFA in Screenwriting and Directing at Columbia University. His directing work has received support from Indian Paintbrush. Prior to Columbia, he worked as a middle school English teacher, community organizer, legal policy analyst, and vegan activist. His filmmaking often focuses on “invisible realities,” deriving from an interest in the works of Pier Paolo Pasolini, Maurice Pialat, João César Monteiro, Gus Van Sant, and Claire Denis.