Matt Chessé | Senior Lecturer

Chessé is the Academy Award^®-nominated film editor of FINDING NEVERLAND, for which he was also was nominated for an Eddie in 2005 for Best Edited Feature Film. He has built a body of work principally with director Marc Forster. Their collaborations include MONSTER’S BALL, for which Halle Berry won the Oscar^®; STRANGER THAN FICTION with Will Ferrell; THE KITE RUNNER, from the popular novel “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Housseni; and WORLD WAR Z, sort-of-adapted from the novel “WWZ” by Max Brooks. With Rick Pearson, he co-edited the 22nd James Bond film QUANTUM OF SOLACE. He and Pearson shared a nomination for a Satellite Award in 2008 for Best Film Editing for QUANTUM OF SOLACE. He has worked with directors Gavin O’Connor (WARRIOR), Michael Hoffman (THE BEST OF ME) and, most recently, with Jodie Foster on MONEY MONSTER. He has taught in Singapore for Tisch Asia, and has spoken on many panels and workshops for the American Cinema Editors, of which he has been a proud member since 2002.

David Cook | Senior Lecturer

Cook graduated with a BFA in filmmaking, from the University of North Carolina’s School of the Arts and is a member of the American Cinema Editors (ACE). He has edited numerous episodic televisions series, feature films and documentaries including IMAX 3D. He has been nominated for the Hollywood Post Alliance award for his work and his thesis film MAN AND DOG won the Student Academy Award in 1998.

His editing credits include: network television series NCIS, THE GOOD WIFE, LIE TO ME, THE EX-LIST and SHARK; feature films THE JOYRIDERS, CLOVER BEND, DYING ON THE EDGE; documentaries GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS (IMAX 3D) and THE LAST MYSTERIES OF TITANIC for James Cameron, and MAN AND DOG.

His producing and post-production supervising credits include: THE FOOT FIST WAY, UNDERTOW, ALL THE REAL GIRLS, GEORGE WASHINGTON, DOOMSDAY MAN, HEARSAY, SURFACING, RECKONING and THE SURPRISE PARTY.

Christopher Cooke | Lecturer

Christopher Cooke is a second-generation Southern Californian who received a BA and MFA in Film Production from UCLA. While still in college, he collaborated with director King Vidor on his last short film, METAPHOR. The film documented a conversation between Vidor and artist Andrew Wyeth on Vidor’s influence and the nature of art.

Cooke began his editing career assisting Basil Wrangell, who had his first job in the industry working on the silent version of BEN HUR. Cooke has edited on features, TV movies, episodic television and reality TV. He has cut multiple genres including drama, comedy and documentary. Some of his credits are SPEECHLESS, AGENT CARTER, REAPER, THE X-FILES, AMERICAN DREAMS, DAWSON’S CREEK, CAGNEY & LACEY and MGM: WHEN THE LION ROARS. He has been nominated for an Emmy^® (for the miniseries BLIND FAITH) and for two ACE Eddie Awards (CAGNEY & LACEY and BLIND FAITH).

He served on the Motion Picture Editors Guild Board for three years while writing and editing the precursor to the Guild’s magazine. He also co-wrote a history of the Guild for their website. As a longtime member of the American Cinema Editors (ACE), he served for seven years as Secretary on the Board of Directors. He has also written for the ACE CinemaEditor Magazine. He currently serves on several committees for ACE including Membership, Internship and the Diversity Committee.

Matthew Friedman, A.C.E. | Lecturer

Matt has edited over 25 feature films, which have grossed just shy of one billion dollars worldwide. Most recently he edited Lulu Wang’s critically acclaimed film THE FAREWELL.

Matt works in a wide variety of genres, cutting both studio and independent features. His feature credits include the comedies WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS and JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE, as well as ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL and the 3D dance movie STEP UP: REVOLUTION. Matt holds a Bachelor of Science in Radio/Television/Film and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Northwestern University.

Anne Goursaud | Lecturer

Anne Goursaud is an accomplished film editor and director. It was Francis Ford Coppola who first spotted Goursaud’s talent, giving her the chance to edit ONE FROM THE HEART. Since that time, she has directed and edited a wide range of projects, and has worked with some of the most highly acclaimed professionals in the movie industry.

Her directing credits include the cult thriller EMBRACE OF THE VAMPIRE, POISON IVY II — both for New Line Cinema — and the erotic drama LOVE IN PARIS (ANOTHER 9 1/2 WEEKS) for Trimark.

Her editing credits include Francis Ford Coppola’s teen classic THE OUTSIDERS, starring Matt Dillon and Tom Cruise; the Oscar^®-winning BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, starring Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins; and IRONWEED, starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, for which they both received Oscar^® nominations.

Goursaud also edited Bruce Beresford’s comedies CRIMES OF THE HEART and HER ALIBI, John Duigan’s epic drama WIDE SARGASSO SEA, Janusz Kaminski’s horror film LOST SOULS and the sequel to CHINATOWN, THE TWO JAKES, directed by and starring Jack Nicholson. Most recently, she edited Universal Pictures’ innovative OutKast movie-musical IDLEWILD, and the edgy new independent feature EXPIRED, which premiered at Cannes.

Anne was writer-producer on the feature-length documentary ULTRASUEDE: IN SEARCH FOR HALSTON, which was released in theaters in February 2012 and bought by Showtime.

She is attached to direct two features: CORONADO and BETSY & NAPOLEON, for legendary producer Fred Roos. Anne last produced, directed as well as edited A CLASSY BROAD: MARCIA’S ADVENTURES IN HOLLYWOOD, a feature-length documentary about the first woman Production VP at a major studio, Marcia Nasatir. The film opened in March 2019 on digital platforms and had a week theatrical run – March 8-14 – at the Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills. It’s currently available through VOD, and KANOPY, for educational use.

Anne also re-cut THE LONGEST ROAD, a feature documentary about refugees in Kurdistan that premiered at the San Antonio Film Festival in 2018. She just finish A DAY IN THE LIFE, a documentary about Apple Corps, and is currently editing RING ROAD, a documentary about a woman motorcyclist finding her voice touring Iceland.

Her short story, KEEP ONLY THE GOOD PIECES, was published on Hollywooddementia.com, in June 2016. Three other short stories, A GREAT BAD YEAR, PAULINE’S ADVENTURES ON THE SILVER SCREEN, and THE HEIRESS were also published.

Anne is an AFI mentor and teaches First Year Editing Analysis also at AFI.

Goursaud received a License in History of Art from the Sorbonne, and a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University. She is a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Editors Guild, A.C.E., the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and SAC.

Sandra Nebel | Senior Lecturer

Sandra Nebel grew up in San Diego and earned a BA in Communications from the University of San Diego. Afterwards she journeyed north to Los Angeles to pursue a career in television by earning an MFA degree in Television Production from Loyola Marymount University. Her career path started in the tape vaults and newsrooms of reality shows and news programs before switching over to post production on episodic dramatic television. She has worked her way up as a post producer on numerous television series over the last 20 years.

Various post producer credits include: JOAN OF ARCADIA, THE GLADES, AMERICAN CRIME and SEAL TEAM, as well as several pilots.

She is also a member of the Producers Guild of America.

Martin Nicholson | Senior Lecturer

Nicholson received a BFA in Film Directing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He has edited numerous episodes and movies for TV, cable and the web, as well as documentaries and feature Films. Among his editing credits are NORMAN ROCKWELL: AN AMERICAN PORTRAIT, THE LEGACY OF ROSINA LHEVINNE, THIRTYSOMETHING, JOHN DOE (Co-Producer), DEADWOOD, JOHN FROM CINCINATTI, GAME OF THRONES, REVENGE, ALMOST GOLDEN: THE JESSICA SAVITCH STORY, LITTLE GIRLS IN PRETTY BOXES (ACE Eddie), HALLOWEENTOWN, GRACIE’S CHOICE, THE FORBIDDEN ZONE, THE BIG PICTURE, THICK AS THIEVES and MARY AND MARTHA. He recently edited HAND OF GOD for Amazon, and MARCO POLO for The Weinstein Company and Netflix. His directing credits include THIRTYSOMETHING, the award-winning short MISSING PARENTS, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, and THE DAY MY PARENTS RAN AWAY.

He received a Sundance Institute Fellowship for his screenplay of Tillie Olsen’s novel “Yonnondio.” He has served multiple terms on the Board of the American Cinema Editors, and is a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild and the Directors Guild of America.

Brian Scofield | Lecturer

Scofield studied philosophy and literature at the University of Notre Dame and earned his MFA in film production from USC, where his short film BLACKBIRD was nominated for a Student Academy Award. He began his editing career as an apprentice for Terrence Malick on films TO THE WONDER and VOYAGE OF TIME. Scofield worked with Malick for nearly three years, eventually becoming an editor on KNIGHT OF CUPS in addition to contributing to several other upcoming films. Scofield then edited Warren Beatty’s RULES DON’T APPLY alongside former mentor Billy Weber, and has since edited five independent features including THE LONER (Tribeca Film Festival 2016), EMMA’S CHANCE (distributed by Sony), an upcoming feature produced by the Duplass Brothers and another feature for Netflix. Shorts he has edited have played at Sundance, SXSW and many other festivals around the world.

Howard Smith | Lecturer

Howard E. Smith grew up in Chicago, Illinois. While at Northwestern University in the late 60s he wrote, directed, shot and edited over 50 short films and while there received one of the first AFI grants to independent filmmakers. With that grant he made the award-winning short, STILL? Smith was then invited to attend the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles in 1970 as a Directing and Cinematography Fellow. While there he worked with Tim Hunter, Terrence Malick, David Lynch, Alan Splet and Stanton Kaye, among others. He edited Stanton Kaye’s masterpiece feature, IN PURSUIT OF TREASURE, produced by Gill Dennis and starring Scott Glenn, Elizabeth Hartman, Jay Silverheels and Bonnie Bedelia.

Among the films which he has edited during an almost 50-year career are James Cameron’s THE ABYSS, Kathryn Bigelow’s POINT BREAK, SNAKES ON A PLANE and SONNY.

Scott Vickrey | Lecturer

Scott Vickrey, ACE, has been an active editor for over 30 years. He joined the faculty of AFI in 2016, teaching First Year Editing Analysis. He has edited features, documentaries, television series, and movies of the week. His most recent credits include THE GOOD WIFE and THE LONG ROAD HOME. He has worked with directors like Peter Bogdanovich, Rob Marshall, Mike Nichols and Alan Pakula. He has been nominated for 3 Emmys and 6 American Cinema Editors winning one for the miniseries THE COMPANY.