Coming from a theater background as a writer/director, Matt switched to film-making in 2016. This is his second short film he has directed. He co-wrote a feature length sci-fi crime thriller which just completed principle photography in early March 2020. Matt recently received funding for his third short film, “The Visitor,” which he wrote and will direct. It is slated to begin filming fall of 2020.
Director Statement
Most of the winemakers I know aren’t snooty yuppies with sweaters tied around their shoulders, sipping their new vintage while giving a self-indulgent tour of their facilities to equally snobbish wine enthusiasts. The winemakers I know are working class folks, who bottle wine for hours while blasting punk rock, and reward a hard day’s work with a cold beer.
I wanted this short to take a look at the hard and often lonely life of a winemaker. Successfully breaking into the wine culture is expensive, labor intensive and full of challenges that are mostly stacked against the winemaker. One of those biggest obstacles is the critic and the foodie wine snob.
This short film is a portrait of an unstable man whom on the brink of losing everything shows his true, ugly nature tucked behind the mirage of the prestigious winemaker. It is about a broken man that would do anything for a taste of success.
We wanted “Full Bodied” to not only tell our story, but also give the audience glimpse into the wine making process and the facilities it all happens in. We were so fortunate to shoot at such a beautiful and fascinating space.
Our DP, Robert Cernuda, did a wonderful job capturing those great images of the winery. Greta Link, our composer and my wife, brought it all together with her haunting and atmospheric soundtrack.
I thank everyone who had a hand in this film.
Thriller/Suspense Film and Writing Festival 