Years active 2013–present | Name Mathew Murray | |
Born June 4, 1993 (age 30) ( 1993-06-04 ) Toronto, Ontario, Canada Occupation Director, web series creator, writer, filmmaker, producer | ||
Mathew murray emmanuel kabongo teenagers web series on cp24 news
Mathew Murray (born June 4, 1993), credited professionally as M. H. Murray, is a Canadian filmmaker, writer, director, and web series creator. He is best known for his work on Teenagers (2014–present).
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Best Gay Short Movie | LGBT themed | teenagers - Season 2 (Teaser)
Early life
Murray was born in Toronto and raised in the Port Credit area of Mississauga, Ontario. He later attended film school at York University.
Teenagers
In 2013, at the age of 19, Murray wrote, directed and co-created his first web series, Teenagers. Upon release in 2014, the series gained significant popularity on YouTube, attracting media attention because its cast included several Degrassi stars, most notably Chloe Rose and Raymond Ablack. The popular Canadian industry journal Playback published a piece on the series, writing: "the young creators of Teenagers had to have plenty of luck, pluck, talent and grit to get this far. And that portends a Hollywood ending." Murray co-produced the first season alongside Emmanuel Kabongo, who also stars.
Since its release, the series has received positive reviews from blogs and indie publications. For the second season of the series, Orphan Black director T.J. Scott served as executive producer. The first episode premiered on July 26, 2015, and has since been viewed over 3 million times on YouTube. The second season was nominated for various awards, including a Canadian Screen Award and four Indie Series Awards. A third season is currently in development.
Influences
Though Teenagers has frequently drawn comparisons to the Degrassi franchise and Skins, Murray has stated that he was influenced by John Hughes, Issa Rae and the 1995 Larry Clark film Kids.
Awards and nominations
In 2016, for his work on Teenagers, Murray won the award for Best Screenplay at the Vancouver Web Series Festival.