 | This article'slead sectionmay be too short to adequatelysummarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead toprovide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article.(April 2023) |
Matthew Lessner | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Matthew Lessner at the Sundance 2014 Awards Ceremony | |
| Born | Walnut Creek, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Notable work | Chapel Perilous, The Woods, By Modern Measure, Darling Darling, Automatic at Sea |
Matthew Lessner is an Americanartist[1] and independentfilmmaker.[2]
Born inWalnut Creek, California,[3] Lessner was raised inRoseburg, Oregon, where he attendedRoseburg High School.[2][4] He graduated in 2005 fromChapman University, where he studied film.[5]
Lessner's directorial debut was the 2005 short filmDarling Darling starringMichael Cera, which screened at over 30 film festivals worldwide[6] including theClermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival,Comedia, and theAnn Arbor Film Festival where Lessner won the Tom Berman Most Promising Filmmaker Award.[7] The film is included on the sixth issue ofWholphin DVD magazine with alternate audio versions byJohn Cleese andDaniel Handler.[8]Darling Darling was included theClermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival's Retrospective 2014: the twenty-first century American short films.[9]
Lessner's second short film,By Modern Measure, premiered atSouth by Southwest[10] and screened at 30 film festivals[11] including the 2008Sundance Film Festival.[12] In January 2011 theSundance Institute released "By Modern Measure" on The YouTube Screening room as part of its Sundance Film Festival Classics series.[13]
His third short film,Chapel Perilous featuringSun Araw was an official selection at the 2014Sundance Film Festival[14] where it won the Short Film Audience Award.[15] The film premiered internationally at theStockholm Film Festival.[16] In March 2014,Chapel Perilous was selected as aVimeo Staff Pick.[17]
In August 2008, Lessner began work on his first feature filmThe Woods, which was filmed in the woods aroundLookingglass, Oregon.[2][4]The Woods was invited to world premiere at the 2011Sundance Film Festival.[18] The film made history as the first film to premiere at theSundance Film Festival that usedKickstarter for production financing.[19]The Woods premiered in New York at the BAMcinemaFest held at theBrooklyn Academy of Music.[20]The Woods premiered internationally at theCologne Conference inCologne, Germany.[21]
In August 2011, Lessner was awarded aSan Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grant for screenwriting in support of feature film tentatively titledTerror Tuesday.[22] In May 2012, Lessner was awarded an additionalSan Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grant for development of the feature tentatively titledTerror Tuesday.[14][23]
In 2017, Lessner released his second feature filmAutomatic at Sea], which became embroiled in thePizzagate conspiracy theory prior to its release, resulting in Lessner receiving death threats and being accused of creating coded propaganda for theClinton Foundation.[24]Werner Herzog called the film "unusual and courageous".[25]Automatic at Sea screened at festivals and theaters worldwide including at theSlamdance Film Festival, theArcLight Hollywood, theAmerican Film Festival, and the New Hampshire Film Festival where the film won the Narrative Grand Jury Prize.[26][27]
In March 2021, the pilot for Lessner's metaphysical comedy seriesThe Position, world premiered at theSouth by Southwest Film Festival in the Episodic Pilot Competition.[28]
In April 2016, Champis Solutions, a solo installation by Lessner opened at Nevven Gallery inGothenburg, Sweden. Champis Solutions was Phase Two in the ongoing Seven Phase project titled in Anticipation of the Unexpected.[29]
In late 2018, Lessner was awarded a grant from the Swedish art council Kulturbryggan for the development of an interactive film exhibition entitled SAINT Y2K.[30]
In June 2020, years 3 and 4 of Lessner's ongoing interactive seven year film project In Anticipation of the Unexpected were exhibited at Nevven Gallery inGothenburg, Sweden.[31]
In the fall of 2020 Lessner's immersive, interactive experience SAINT Y2K opened as a solo exhibition inStockholm, Sweden.[32]
In January 2023 Lessner's interactiveneurofeedback exhibition Hyacinthe opened as a solo exhibition at SKF/Konstnärshuset inStockholm, Sweden.[33]
Lessner has directed over a dozen music videos including for theDirty Projectors' single "Stillness is the Move" which was ranked one of the best music videos of 2009 by Stereogum.[34][35] He also directed the videoFool's Gold's "Surprise Hotel".[36]
Lessner directed and produced several videos forBBC Collective with bands includingBlack Dice andThe Fiery Furnaces.[37][38][39]
In 2011, Lessner created and directed the web series "Make a Friend" for the French website Konbini.[40][41][42]
Lessner contributed lyrics to six of the eight tracks onLydia Ainsworth's debut album,Right From Real, including "Hologram" which was named Best New Track byPitchfork[43][44] The Album was released onArbutus Records in 2014 and was a shortlist nominee for theJuno Award for theElectronic Album of the Year.[45][46] Additionally he directed the music video for Ainsworth's single Malachite, whichStereogum voted video of the week in June 2014.[47][48][43][49]
Lessner has collaborated with Cameron Stallones ofSun Araw who contributed a cover ofNeil Young's 'Thrasher' to the soundtrack forThe Woods.[50] In 2009 they releasedSun Araw featuring Matthew Lessner –In Orbit through Stunned Records.[51]
Lessner and his younger sister Sophia Lessner have collaborated on a musical project calledMasons. They released their first tapeIn the Basement of the Temple through Stunned Records in 2008.[52]
Lessner directed the trailer forOttessa Moshfegh's 2022 novelLapvona.[53]
Lessner starred as an actor in theMia Hansen-Løve filmBergman Island which premiered at the 2021Cannes Film Festival.[54]
Lessner published an article inFilmmaker (magazine) recounting his experiences with online conspiracy theorists in the lead up to the release of his feature film Automatic at Sea.[55]
Lessner's photographs have been featured in multiple publications includingThe Sun Magazine andThe Wire (magazine).[56][57]
In the spring of 2008 Lessner worked as an intern for syndicated news programDemocracy Now![58]
| Year | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Darling Darling | Short Film |
| 2007 | By Modern Measure | Short Film |
| 2011 | The Woods | Feature Film |
| 2013 | Chapel Perilous | Short Film |
| 2017 | Automatic at Sea | Feature Film |
| (unknown) | Terror Tuesday | Feature Film |
| 2020 | SAINT Y2K | Fine Art (Interactive) |
| 2021 | The Position | Episodic (Pilot) |
| Year | Song Title | Band | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Set in Stone" | Fires of Rome | The Hours Records |
| 2009 | "Set in Stone"M83 Remix | Fires of Rome | The Hours Records |
| 2009 | "Stillness is the Move" | Dirty Projectors | Domino Records |
| 2009 | "Surprise Hotel" | Fool's Gold | IAMSOUND Records |
| 2009 | "Last Dance" | The Raveonettes | Vice Records |
| 2009 | "Early Warnings" | Foreign Born | Secretly Canadian |
| 2010 | "Forgive Me" | Le Loup | Hardly Art |
| 2010 | "World News" | Local Natives | Frenchkiss Records |
| 2010 | "Neverest" | Hey Champ | Townie Records |
| 2012 | "Marathon Runner" | Yellow Ostrich | Barsuk Records |
| 2014 | "Solo Wallet Shuffle" | Sun Araw | Drag City |
| 2014 | "Malachite" | Lydia Ainsworth | Arbutus |
| 2024 | "Take My Picture (Mops Out Mix)" | Regularfantasy | Behave! |
| Year | Subject | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Dirty Projectors +Björk | Mount Wittenberg Orca I, II, III, V VI | Album Trailers |
| 2011 | Explosions in the Sky | "Last Known Surroundings" | Video Installation |
| 2022 | Ottessa Moshfegh | "Lapvona" | Novel Trailer[59] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
