Matthew Ross (filmmaker)

Born and raised in New York City, Ross attended Harvard University, where he graduated Cum Laude with Honors with a degree in Visual and Environmental Studies, concentrating in filmmaking. His senior thesis film Here Comes Your Man earned Magna Cum Laude Plus honors and was selected for a number of international film festivals.[3] While in college, he was a four-year member of the Harvard Boxing Club.

Ross began his career as a film journalist. His first staff position of note was as a film reporter for Variety in 2000.[4] At the age of 25, he was hired as the senior editor of Indiewire, overseeing the site's editorial coverage as well as writing a regular industry column,[5] followed by a four-year stint as the managing editor of Filmmaker magazine. While at Filmmaker, Ross wrote many of the magazine's cover stories and major features, including profiles of directors Robert Altman, Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney, Todd Solondz, Alexander Payne, Richard Linklater, Robert Towne, Michel Gondry, among others. Ross eventually expanded his focus beyond film, writing pieces that ranged from feature profiles of MMA champions for FIGHT! magazine[6] to long-form investigative journalism for Playboy.[7] As a freelancer, his work has appeared in The Village Voice,[8] Nerve,[9] The Criterion Collection, and dozens of other publications.[10]

Ross began making films in college, including the festival shorts Here Comes Your Man,[11] A Hero's Welcome,[12] Curtis and Clover,[13] Lola,[14] and Red Angel.[15] Another short he made was Inspired By Bret Easton Ellis,[16] commissioned by Ellis and described by critic Roger Ebert as "one terrific video!".[17] He also directed, wrote and produced a nonfiction viral series about professional fighters, FIGHT! Life!, which logged over eight-million YouTube views as of 2019.[18]

After his first screenplay Plays Well with Others (co-written with Guy Cimbalo)[19] was optioned by the production company Anonymous Content, Ross moved to Los Angeles, where he wrote and rewrote scripts for a number of producers and production companies. He also worked as a story consultant on Curb Your Enthusiasm, including contributing plotlines to "Palestinian Chicken,"[20] winner of the 2011 DGA Award for "Best Comedy Episode". Vanity Fair called Palestinian Chicken the "crowning achievement in the entire series."[21]

In September 2022, Neotext published JUNKMAN, Ross’s first book, a sci-fi novella collaboration with legendary comics artist Joe Staton.[33] A sequel is in the works.

• Matthew Ross at IMDb
• Official Website