Full Name Matthew Ross Years active 1997–present Website www.lolafilm.net | Other names Matthew M. Ross Notable work Frank & Lola Other name Matthew M. Ross | |
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Born July 10, 1976 (age 40) ( 1976-07-10 ) New York City, New York Occupation film director, screenwriter, journalist Movies Frank & Lola, Fellowship of the Dice, Red Angel Similar Alex Lombard, Amy Lawhorn, Imogen Poots, Carlos Moreno Jr, David Atrakchi | ||
Matthew Ross is an American film director, screenwriter, and journalist based in Brooklyn. He is best known for writing and directing the film Frank & Lola, which had its world premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it was acquired by Universal Studios.
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Early life
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.
Journalism career
Ross began his career as a film journalist. His first position of note was covering the New York film scene as a staff writer for Variety. He then moved on to a senior editor role at Indiewire, overseeing the site's editorial coverage as well as writing a regular industry column, followed by a four-year stint as the managing editor of Filmmaker magazine. While at Filmmaker, Ross wrote and/or edited 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 to long-form investigative journalism for Playboy. As a freelancer, his work has appeared in The Village Voice, Nerve, The Criterion Collection, and dozens of other publications.
Film career
Ross began making films in college, including the festival shorts Here Comes Your Man, A Hero's Welcome, Curtis and Clover, Lola, Red Angel, and Inspired By Bret Easton Ellis, commissioned by Ellis and described by critic Roger Ebert as "one terrific video!". Additionally, Ross directed a nonfiction viral series about professional MMA fighters called FIGHT! Life!, which has logged over six-million YouTube views."
After his first screenplay Plays Well with Others (co-written with close friend Guy Cimbalo) was optioned by the production and management 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," winner of the 2011 DGA Award for "Best Comedy Episode". Vanity Fair called Palestinian Chicken the "crowning achievement in the entire series."
Frank & Lola
While in Los Angeles, Ross began raising money, cast, and production support on another project, Frank & Lola, which would eventually become his directorial debut. In 2014, backed by Parts and Labor Films' producers Jay Van Hoy and Lars Knudsen, Killer Films' Christine Vachon and David Hinojosa, producer John Baker, Preferred Content's Kevin Iwashina and Las Vegas-based production company Lola Pictures, the film began production, with Michael Shannon (Frank) and Imogen Poots (Lola) in the lead roles. The other major parts were played by Michael Nyqvist (Alan), Justin Long (Keith), Rosanna Arquette (Patricia), and Emmanuelle Devos (Claire). Financed by Great Point Media, Frank & Lola wrapped in March, 2015.
On December 7, 2015, it was announced that Frank & Lola had been accepted to the 2016 Sundance Film Festival for its world premiere. During the festival, after the film opened to overwhelmingly positive reviews, Universal Studios secured its worldwide rights (with the exception of a few minor territories) for over $2 million, with a theatrical release planned for later that year.
Ross and Frank & Lola were listed on a number of "best of" Sundance 2016 wrap-up stories, including articles in Indiewire (#3 on the list of "Top 25 Filmmakers and Actors That Broke Through at Sundance 2016"), The Film Stage ("The 15 Best Films at Sundance 2016"), and Ioncinema ("Best of Fest: Sundance 2016's Top 10 New Voices").
The film was released theatrically and on VOD in the U.S. on December 9, 2016.