David Brenner

David S. Brenner (November 3, 1962 – February 17, 2022) was an American film editor known (along with fellow film editors Joe Hutshing, Pietro Scalia, and Julie Monroe) for being one of director Oliver Stone's "hot shot" group of up-and-coming film editors. He attended North Hollywood High School and Stanford University before serving as an apprentice editor on the film Radioactive Dreams, then as an assistant editor to Claire Simpson for his next three films, thereafter becoming an editor. He died at home at age 59, leaving his wife, Amber, and three children. His penultimate film, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), is dedicated to his memory.

Filmography Year Film Director Notes 1984 Radioactive Dreams Albert Pyun Apprentice editor 1986 Salvador Oliver Stone Assistant editor to Claire Simpson Platoon 1987 Wall Street 1988 Talk Radio Co-editor with Joe Hutshing 1989 Born on the Fourth of July Co-editor with Joe HutshingAcademy Award for Best Film Editing (Youngest winner of the category) 1991 The Doors Co-editor with Joe Hutshing 1992 Night and the City Irwin Winkler 1993 Heaven & Earth Oliver Stone Co-editor with Sally Menke 1994 The River Wild Curtis Hanson Co-editor with Joe Hutshing 1996 Fear James Foley Independence Day Roland Emmerich Satellite Award for Best Editing 1997 Lolita Adrian Lyne Co-editor with Julie Monroe 1998 What Dreams May Come Vincent Ward 2000 The Patriot Roland Emmerich Co-editor with Julie Monroe 2001 Kate & Leopold James Mangold 2003 Identity 2004 The Day After Tomorrow Roland Emmerich 2006 World Trade Center Oliver Stone Co-editor with Julie Monroe 2008 Wanted Timur Bekmambetov 2009 2012 Roland Emmerich Co-editor with Peter S. Elliot 2010 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Oliver Stone Co-editor with Julie Monroe 2011 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Rob Marshall Co-editor with Wyatt Smith 2013 Man of Steel Zack Snyder 2014 300: Rise of an Empire Noam Murro Co-editor with Wyatt Smith Escobar: Paradise Lost Andrea Di Stefano Co-editor with Maryline Monthieux 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Zack Snyder 2017 Justice League Zack SnyderJoss Whedon Co-editor with Richard Pearson and Martin Walsh 2021 Zack Snyder's Justice League Zack Snyder 2022 Avatar: The Way of Water James Cameron Posthumous release; co-editor with Stephen E. Rivkin, John Refoua, and James Cameron; Dedicated in his memory 2025 Avatar: Fire and Ash Posthumous release; Co-editor with Stephen E. Rivkin, Nicolas de Toth, John Refoua, Jason Gaudio, and James Cameron

Awards and nominations Award Year Work Category Notes Result Academy Awards 1990 Born on the Fourth of July Best Film Editing Shared with Joe Hutshing (Youngest winner of the category) ACE Eddie Awards 1990 Best Edited Feature Film Shared with Joe Hutshing Critics' Choice Awards 2023 Avatar: The Way of Water Best Editing Shared with James Cameron, John Refoua, and Stephen E. Rivkin San Diego Film Critics Society 2023 Best Editing Shared with James Cameron, John Refoua, Stephen E. Rivkin, and Ian Silverstein Satellite Awards 1998 Independence Day Best Editing 2009 2012 Shared with Peter S. Elliot Saturn Awards 2024 Avatar: The Way of Water Best Editing Shared with James Cameron, John Refoua, and Stephen E. Rivkin