Inspired by his awkward childhood, Brian Hecker wrote, directed and performed in his debut short, "Growing Up with Stress," which won Best of Show at the International Student Media Festival. After receiving a Bachelor's Degree from Northwestern, he pursued an MFA in directing from the American Film Institute, where he was named "Director of the Year." His thesis film, "Family Attraction," which starred Chris Penn and Martin Sheen, was chosen by AFI as one of ten shorts to premiere on iTunes. "Bart Got a Room" marks his feature film debut.