William Sachs

William Sachs
Born	William Sachs
Alma mater	London Film School
Occupation	Film director, film producer, film editor, writer
Years active	1970–present

William Sachs is an American film director/producer and writer. Besides his work as a writer and director, since working on Joe, Sachs has been particularly noted for successfully doctoring others' films prior to release in order to conform them to the producers' wishes for broader commercial appeal. His films have screened and received more than 25 awards at various festivals.

Originally, Sachs studied business and accounting, but disliked it. After enlisting in the United States Air Force and serving in England, he went to college again, majoring in sociology. After talking a film course, he found his passion and decided to study film at London Film School where he directed three short films that won awards during his studies. In addition, he studied acting with Michael Gough in London, and with various teachers in the US. Following his studies, he started working in the US, first re-working films deemed problematic by producers, including Joe, for which Sachs declined a co-director credit and picked a credit as "Post Production Supervisor" because he felt it reflected his involvement in post production best.

Working in Italy in the early 1970s, he started planning his first feature-film as a writer and director: There Is No 13. This film, which is the first film in which Ralf D. Bode is credited as cinematographer, was screened at Berlin Film Festival 1974, where it received a lot of praise and attention. There, it polarized the audiences due to it being American, dealing with the Vietnam war. During the screening, there were protests, with some people shouting and someone turning the light in the auditorium on and off a few times. A judge told Sachs that the film should have won a golden bear as "it was the only unusual film" at the festival, and that it didn't only because the jury was worried about the public reaction to the winning film being so controversial.. The film has been called "probably Sachs' best film, certainly his most profound."

In the following decades, in addition to directing films that became cult classics (like The Incredible Melting Man, Galaxina, Van Nuys Blvd.), Sachs also reworked/doctored numerous films by other directors in post-production prior to release.

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