Mamaroneck High School Grads Dan Futterman and Bennett Miller Nominated for Oscars

Class of 1985 Mamaroneck High School graduates Dan Futterman and Bennett Miller both received Academy Award nominations for their work on the film “Foxcatcher,” the school district announced.

Futterman was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Miller was tapped for Best Director. Futterman’s screenplay nod is shared with co-writer E. Max Frye. The film chronicles the tragic events surrounding John E. du Pont’s funding of a team of wrestlers training for the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

According to the district, Futterman and Miller have been friends since the seventh grade, and both have extensive experience in the film industry. Additionally, Futterman father, Stan, also served on the Mamaroneck Board of Education.

“Through the Mamaroneck public school system, my wife Linda and I have known Bennett Miller for three-quarters of the time we’ve known our own son Danny,” said Stan Futterman in a statement. “We’ve watched the two progress from school plays through home-made movies, arts camp and college to where they can actually make a living doing what they love. Along the way, sadly, they lost their good friend and collaborator Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He would be just as proud of them today as we are.”

Below is a Facebook post by the district about the nominations.

Photo: Dan Futterman, left, and Bennett Miller. Photo credit: IMDB.com via the Mamaroneck Union Free School District Facebook page.