Burch was raised in
West Los Angeles and attended the
Archer School for Girls.[1][2] She was exposed to the film industry at an early age through her parents; her mother worked in film casting while her father worked in film development.[3] Her sister is singer
Molly Burch.[4]
Early in her career, Burch worked in casting, writing audition materials for actors.[6] She also wrote and directed a series of
short films with her now-husband, Alex Mechanik.[7]
Burch completed the screenplay for May December, her first feature film, in 2019. The script was inspired by recollections of the
1990stabloid 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.[3]
Burch wrote the screenplay for the
Warner Bros. family comedy movie Coyote vs. Acme, based on a 1990
Ian Frazier humor piece that first appeared in The New Yorker. It was shelved by
Warner Bros. Discovery in November 2023, who reversed its decision a week later after public backlash, but in February 2024, was expected to be deleted and claimed as a tax write-off.[8][9] On March 10, 2024, Burch told IndieWire at the 2024 Academy Awards that the film may still be released and conversations are still ongoing.[10]
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.[1][11]
Burch was raised in
West Los Angeles and attended the
Archer School for Girls.[1][2] She was exposed to the film industry at an early age through her parents; her mother worked in film casting while her father worked in film development.[3] Her sister is singer
Molly Burch.[4]
Early in her career, Burch worked in casting, writing audition materials for actors.[6] She also wrote and directed a series of
short films with her now-husband, Alex Mechanik.[7]
Burch completed the screenplay for May December, her first feature film, in 2019. The script was inspired by recollections of the
1990stabloid 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.[3]
Burch wrote the screenplay for the
Warner Bros. family comedy movie Coyote vs. Acme, based on a 1990
Ian Frazier humor piece that first appeared in The New Yorker. It was shelved by
Warner Bros. Discovery in November 2023, who reversed its decision a week later after public backlash, but in February 2024, was expected to be deleted and claimed as a tax write-off.[8][9] On March 10, 2024, Burch told IndieWire at the 2024 Academy Awards that the film may still be released and conversations are still ongoing.[10]
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.[1][11]