The award-winning female filmmaker pays homage to the late sound mixer who worked with her on her latest critically-acclaimed movie after he took his own life.

• Mar 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - "Nomadland" run of awards season good fortune has been rocked by the death of the film's sound mixer.

Michael Wolf Snyder, who also worked with "Nomadland" director Chloe Zhao on "The Rider", has taken his own life, according to a Facebook post from his aunt. He was 35.

Cathy Snyder has shared a post from the sound mixer's father, in which he details finding his son's body in his Queens, New York home.

"Michael took his own life sometime in the last week, and it wasn't discovered until I went to check on him Monday after he dropped out of contact for several days," David Snyder originally wrote, revealing his son suffered from depression and spending time alone in his small apartment may have contributed to his death.

Snyder is believed to have died before the Golden Globe Awards on 28 February (21) when "Nomadland" picked up the Best Director and Best Drama honours. The film is expected to win big at the Oscars.

Snyder's career as a sound man began with 2011's "Occupant". He worked as a boom operator and sound mixer on Zhao's "The Rider" in 2017.

Paying tribute to her late friend and collaborator over the weekend, Zhao said, "He would nod at me with a happy grin, or tears in his eyes, or sometimes he would discreetly signal 'one more.' During The Rider, Wolf suggested an idea we later took onto Nomadland - recording room tones longer than we need as a chance to experience silence."

"After hustling on each location, we sat together, in silence, tuned in, listened and honored the world around us and each other. I will always miss him. He would always be with me on set, after each take, and in the silence of every room tone. See you down the road, my friend."

Snyder's other credits include "HodoBuzz", "Rockaway", "Good Omens", and "All of Her".