Samy Burch

Samy Burch is an American screenwriter. She is known for writing May December, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and the 2026 live-action/animation hybrid film Coyote vs. Acme.

Early life and education Burch was raised in West Los Angeles and attended the Archer School for Girls. She was exposed to the film industry at an early age through her parents; her mother Jackie Burch was a casting director, while her father worked in film development. Her sister is singer Molly Burch.

In 2009, Burch graduated from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts with a bachelor's degree in Dramatic Writing.

Career Early in her career, Burch worked in casting.

Burch completed the screenplay for May December, her first feature film, in 2019. The script was inspired by recollections of the 1990s tabloid culture of her youth, particularly the case of Mary Kay Letourneau. Director Todd Haynes first read the script in 2020 and the completed film premiered on May 20, 2023, at the 76th Cannes Film Festival. On March 10, 2024, Burch told IndieWire at the 96th Academy Awards that the film might still be released and conversations were still ongoing. The film was ultimately picked up for distribution by Ketchup Entertainment and released in August 2026.

In May 2024, Variety reported that Late Fame, a Kent Jones film starring Willem Dafoe with a screenplay by Burch, would begin shooting that fall in New York City.

Personal life In 2023, Burch married Alex Mechanik, with whom she developed the story for May December. The pair met while studying film at NYU and currently reside in Los Angeles.

Filmography Short film Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Notes2012 Lampshade Susan Co-directed with Alex Mechanik The Rock Collection Family Dinner 2013 All You Can Eat Housewife Sonata 2016 Bev 2017 Crown Prince

Feature film Year Title Writer ExecutiveProducer 2023 May December 2025 Late Fame 2026 Coyote vs. Acme

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref. 2023 New York Film Critics Circle Best Screenplay May December Gotham Awards Best Screenplay Boston Society of Film Critics Best Screenplay Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Screenplay Chicago Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay Las Vegas Film Critics Society Best Original Screenplay Boston Online Film Critics Association Best Screenplay Indiana Film Journalists Association Best Original Screenplay San Diego Film Critics Society Best Original Screenplay Online Association of Female Film Critics Best Original Screenplay 2024 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Original Screenplay Best Female Screenwriter Columbus Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay Georgia Film Critics Association North Carolina Film Critics Association DiscussingFilm Critic Awards Greater Western New York Film Critics Association National Society of Film Critics Best Screenplay Utah Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay Seattle Film Critics Society Best Screenplay San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Best Original Screenplay Austin Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay Denver Film Critics Society Best Original Screenplay Critics' Choice Awards Best Original Screenplay North Dakota Film Society Best Screenplay Portland Critics Association Satellite Awards Best Original Screenplay Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay Academy AwardsBest Original Screenplay Writers Guild of America AwardsBest Original Screenplay