2018 Independent Spirit-winning Filmmaker Matty Brown Signs with UNHEARD/OF

Atlanta and Seattle-based production company UNHEARD/OF adds the award-winning visionary director Matty Brown to its lineup.

Originally from Rough and Ready, California, Matty Brown is known for shaping visual motifs and visceral emotional reactions with his art. Matty was always driven to create, as a child he began taking 35mm photographs and turning them into flip book/stop-motion movies. With limited resources in his rural town in California, Matty devised unique ways that made his lo-fi films pop. He developed a singular style of shooting and editing film that has since been widely imitated.

Using quick cuts and intriguing transitions, Brown brings an up-close approach to his work, capturing adversity, simplicity, and people at their core. Matty describes his visual style as having “a fluid roller coaster-feel… I love looking at the moments of footage that people usually throw away—where the camera is still rolling, but life keeps happening. I try to capture the feeling, the movement, the texture, the transitions, that makes it feel like the viewer’s own memory.” When trying to pinpoint his work in a word, Matty said, “You know, people don’t know how to describe it without flailing their arms around—it’s a gesture more than a style.”

His signature ‘gesture’ quickly started to pick up steam on Vimeo, leading Matty to earn the record for most Staff Picks of any filmmaker on the site. His success on Vimeo gave him the opportunity to work with Lincoln directly, creating the emotive commercial, “The Call.” This attention led to Matty being featured in various festivals and publications around the world, and earned him a 2013 Emmy nomination for “The Piano.” Always one to push himself, Matty moved into the advertising space, directing commercials for brands like Microsoft, Airbnb, Delta Airlines and Google.

Recently Brown was honored with the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Award Story Award for his “innovation, diversity and uniqueness of vision and history of transforming perspectives through rich stories.” Sponsored by Visit Seattle, the award includes a cash grant to create a short film inspired by Seattle’s independent spirit.

Matt Ackerman, Executive Producer of UNHEARD/OF, says he is elated for Brown to join the team. “I already have two directors with the last name Brown on the roster so this was a rule of three decision,” he says jokingly. “In all seriousness Matty is a rarity; he’s a guy who can make both content for brands and make art films too. He’s just an all-around exceptional storyteller and with a unique perspective on each project he immerses himself into.”

For his part, Matty is equally excited, saying, “The UNHEARD/OF roster is doing such compelling creative work—it just blows my mind. I’ve been bursting inside wanting to do projects that elevate my creativity, and let my mind flourish with ideas. You want to be apart of a team that feeds and fuels you, and inspires you to be great.”

First on the agenda is shooting his Visit Seattle piece over a two-week period, with the finished film to premiere during the Spirit Awards broadcast on March 3rd. Matty says he’s grateful for the opportunity and hopes it will eventually lead to him doing feature films. “The Seattle film is more important and meaningful to me than anything thus far,” Matty says. “It will show both Seattle and Hollywood what I can do.”