Mat Hodgson

Mat Hodgson is a British filmmaker. His work includes The Four Year Plan, I Am Durán and The United Way.

Mat Hodgson
Mat Hodgson
Born
Berkshire, England
NationalityBritish
EducationChurchill Academy and Sixth Form, Somerset
OccupationFilmmaker
Notable workThe Four Year Plan
I Am Durán
The United Way

Hodgson began his early career as a runner at Action Time and Kudos before joining Flextech Television. Following a stint at Endemol he then spent several years at MTV. From there he went onto direct and produce for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Universal Television, Discovery. In 2005, together with Daniel Glynn, he launched his own production company, Ad Hoc Films, based in London.

Documentary work

The Four Year Plan

Between 2007 and 2011 Hodgson filmed behind the scenes at Queens Park Rangers Football Club as he followed the ownership of Flavio Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal (with his son-in-law Amit Bhatia).[1] The film, documenting this turbulent - yet successful - period, was released in 2011 initially on DVD and in 2012 aired on BBC and Netflix. Upon its release it received huge critical acclaim, winning several awards and being shortlisted for a Grierson Award in ‘Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme’ category. It is often referred to in top lists of best ever sports documentaries.[2][3]

I Am Durán

In 2019 Universal Pictures released 'I Am Durán' – Hodgson’s documentary film about Panamanian boxer Roberto Durán. The focus of the film was to chart Durán’s rise in the sport set against the backdrop of social and political unrest in his homeland,[4] Panama. The film features Roberto Durán, Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Mike Tyson, General Manuel Noriega, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Don King, Bob Arum, Ricky Hatton, Lennox Lewis and Oscar De La Hoya amongst others.[5] Noriega’s interview was his last ever broadcast interview before he passed away. The film reviewed favourably and once again Hodgson was shortlisted for a Grierson Award - this time in ‘Best International Documentary’ category. It saw off competition from the highly acclaimed film ‘Diego Maradona’ by Oscar winner Asif Kapadia to scoop a Focal International Award in 2020, in the 'Sports Production' category.

The United Way

In 2021 Hodgson[6] released ‘The United Way’[7] – a documentary film featuring Eric Cantona[8] on Manchester United. The film tells the story of Manchester United from the 1950’s, with the Busby Babes and the Munich Air Disaster, through to the Treble win of 1999, whilst also documenting Cantona’s time at the club. Additionally to Cantona, it features Andy Burnham, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes, Steve Bruce, Shaun Ryder, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Nicky Butt, Peter Schmiechel, Peter Hook, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham, Ron Atkinson, Tommy Docherty, Lord Kinnock, Lord Heseltine etc The United Way includes an original score by four-time Academy-nominated composer George Fenton.[9]

Other Documentary Work

Additionally, Hodgson has produced and/or directed several documentary titles, which include Night of the Fight: Hatton’s Last Stand, Sleeping Giant: An Indian Football Story, Fight Game: The McGuigans, Frampton: Return of the Jackal, 48 Hours with Muhammed Ali, Brothers in Sand and Once Were Lions.

Personal life

Hodgson lives in London with his wife Monique and their 2 children.

References
  1. "Football focus: Queens Park Rangers' Four Year Plan on film". the Guardian. 12 January 2012.
  2. Dickinson, Matt. "The QPR series that makes Sunderland look like a model of steady, sober management". The Times.
  3. "Inside the 'basket case': the film that will shock football". The Independent. 22 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2022-05-12.
  4. Jones, Rich (8 June 2019). "I Am Duran documentary provides unique insight into Panama icon". The Mirror.
  5. Mazique, Brian. "'I Am Duran' Review: Roberto Duran Documentary Is A Film Most Boxing Fans Will Enjoy". Forbes.
  6. May 2021, Ed McCambridge 10 (10 May 2021). ""I met Eric Cantona in a restaurant and he ordered sardines. I had to laugh" - The United Way director Mat Hodgson chats to FFT about the stunning new documentary". fourfourtwo.com. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  7. Moore, Paul (2021-05-16). "Finding The United Way, Fergie's magic and what it's like to direct Eric Cantona". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  8. Murphy, Daniel (2021-05-09). "Finding the Manchester United way with Eric Cantona". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  9. "Mat Hodgson". IMDb.
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