Mary Sweeney is a multifaceted creative force, boasting an impressive array of skills that span the realms of feature film direction, production, writing, and editing. Her extensive collaboration with the acclaimed director David Lynch dates back to the 1986 release of Blue Velvet. This partnership has yielded a diverse range of projects, including the editing of Twin Peaks Television in 1990, Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me in 1992, Hotel Room, HBO, in 1993, Lost Highway in 1996, The Straight Story in 2000, and Mulholland Drive in 2001.
Sweeney's editing prowess earned her a prestigious British Academy Award for Best Editing in 2001 for her work on Mulholland Drive. Additionally, she penned the screenplay for The Straight Story, which garnered an Academy Award nomination for Richard Farnsworth. Her producing credits began in 1995 with Nadja and have since included Lost Highway, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive, and Inland Empire, a 2006 film directed by Lynch, as well as Baraboo, her directorial debut, which was based on her original screenplay and released in 2009.
As a respected educator, Sweeney currently holds the esteemed position of Dino and Martha De Laurentiis Endowed Professor of film at the University of Southern California (USC),where she teaches Graduate Screenwriting Thesis and the unique course "Dreams, The Brain and Storytelling."
In addition to her academic pursuits, Sweeney serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Film Independent, a leading organization that sponsors the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival.
