Michael Matthews

Birthplace: Durban, South Africa
Occupation: Film Director, Producer, Writer

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Genre Breakdown

Versatility: MediumFav: Thriller

Action

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Drama

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Thriller

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Biography

EARLY LIFE

Michael Matthews was born in Durban, South Africa. He has spoken about his father’s love of movies and discussions about film as an early inspiration. Seeing Jurassic Park at around age 10 was a major turning point that deepened his fascination with cinema and immersive storytelling. He later moved to Cape Town to study filmmaking at CityVarsity.

CAREER

Matthews began his professional career directing commercials, music videos, and short films, working with brands such as MTV, Nike, Axe/Lynx, Smirnoff, Kulula, and others. He co-founded the production company Be Phat Motel with writer/producer Sean Drummond, which became a key platform for his early narrative work. Short films: Wideopen (2009) – director and producer Sweetheart (2010) – director and producer Apocalypse Now Now (2018) – director and producer (based on the novel by Charlie Human); won Best Short Film at the 12th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) Feature films: Five Fingers for Marseilles (2017) Love and Monsters (also known as Monster Problems, 2020) Television: Nautilus (Disney+, 2024) Matthews is noted for his focus on emotive, visual storytelling, strong performance direction, and the ability to handle ambitious technical and creative challenges across budgets. He has described drawing inspiration from films such as Jurassic Park and Back to the Future, emphasizing tangible, grounded adventure worlds even in fantastical settings.