Matt Parker ’91—Distinguished Alum
Written June 2013
Independent film producer and Harding Distinguished Alumni Award winner Matt Parker ’91 has made more than a dozen films, shorts, and documentaries in the past decade—projects with budgets ranging from $100,000 to $5 million. Matt has really made his mark, though, in narratives with non-traditional voices and perspectives that fall outside of the mainstream. His 2012 film Beasts of the Southern Wild explores the world and imagination of a six-year-old girl from a Louisiana bayou community. Winning the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the film also garnered four Academy Award nominations. This year, Matt’s film Mother of George, the story of Nigerian immigrants living in Brooklyn, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will be released in theaters September 13.
While storytelling is the driving force behind Matt’s films, he says the life of an independent film producer is very much about finding “a balance between art and commerce.” The trick is to seek stories worth telling that can also be financially viable. At any given time, Matt has about 10 projects in various stages of development. When production starts on a film, he addresses creative aspects of the script and hires the filmmaking crew. Then, on the set, he’s right there behind the director, overseeing artistic decisions and also making sure the production stays on budget and on schedule.
Matt also regularly attends film festivals, which are not merely glamorous schmooze-fests. “I always say that film festivals are like trade shows for another industry,” he says. In Cannes—where he traveled just before he returned to Harding for graduation—Matt attended more than 30 business meetings in six days.
As Matt noted in his acceptance address, his Harding experiences have been formative. Harding was where he learned the importance of honor, trust, hard work, and loyalty—qualities that have shaped him as person and helped him professionally, he says.
Matt’s advice to students interested in filmmaking is to make inquiries with the Tennessee Film Commission about local opportunities. Matt himself is living proof that one can get to Hollywood via Nashville. After taking a two-month filmmaking course in New York after college, he came home and got a tip about The Last Castle, a Robert Redford film that was shooting in Nashville. Securing work as an unpaid intern, he later got a paid position, which led to further opportunities in New York.
His other career advice is to keep in touch with classmates and never underestimate the value of networking and “exploring every option.” He says, “Nobody is going to make an opportunity for you unless you ask—and you go after it.”
Back
While storytelling is the driving force behind Matt’s films, he says the life of an independent film producer is very much about finding “a balance between art and commerce.” The trick is to seek stories worth telling that can also be financially viable. At any given time, Matt has about 10 projects in various stages of development. When production starts on a film, he addresses creative aspects of the script and hires the filmmaking crew. Then, on the set, he’s right there behind the director, overseeing artistic decisions and also making sure the production stays on budget and on schedule.
Matt also regularly attends film festivals, which are not merely glamorous schmooze-fests. “I always say that film festivals are like trade shows for another industry,” he says. In Cannes—where he traveled just before he returned to Harding for graduation—Matt attended more than 30 business meetings in six days.
As Matt noted in his acceptance address, his Harding experiences have been formative. Harding was where he learned the importance of honor, trust, hard work, and loyalty—qualities that have shaped him as person and helped him professionally, he says.
Matt’s advice to students interested in filmmaking is to make inquiries with the Tennessee Film Commission about local opportunities. Matt himself is living proof that one can get to Hollywood via Nashville. After taking a two-month filmmaking course in New York after college, he came home and got a tip about The Last Castle, a Robert Redford film that was shooting in Nashville. Securing work as an unpaid intern, he later got a paid position, which led to further opportunities in New York.
His other career advice is to keep in touch with classmates and never underestimate the value of networking and “exploring every option.” He says, “Nobody is going to make an opportunity for you unless you ask—and you go after it.”
Inspiring The Mind • Nurturing The Spirit