Frank Matter was born on June 8, 1964, in Sissach, Switzerland. After school, he first worked as a journalist and a magazine staff writer, living in Locarno and Basel. After having been an assistant director and co-writer on a Swiss TV documentary, he started to write and direct his own films and videos. In 1993, he moved to New York, where he continued to work in films. His works have been shown at festivals in Locarno, New York, Montreal, Ankara, Calcutta, to name just a few, as well as in museums and theatres in many different places.

FILMS & VIDEOS

Definition of Insanity, fiction, 86', digital video/blow-up 35mm, 2004

Production: soap factory, Dirt Road Films
Written, directed & edited: Frank Matter, Robert Margolis
Starring: Robert Margolis, Kelli Barnett, Tom Gill, Dawn Marie Anderson, Kathryn Fallow, Jimmy Lee Gary Jr., Frank Krias, Derek Johnson, Amanda Kay, John Greiner, Bruce Levy


Cameos: Peter Bogdanovich, Jonas Mekas, David Maquiling.
Music: Paula Atherton, Amy Fairchild

The Beauty of My Island, documentary, 33', digital video, 1999

Production: soap factory, Basel
Directed by: Frank Matter


Winner of Best Essay Award at the renowned Festival des Films sur l'Art in Montreal. It was also screened at many other venues, among others at Conduit Digital Festival in Austin, Texas; the Dumbo Arts Festival in New York; TrafficArt Festival in Chicoutimi, Kanada; Helmhaus Zürich; McDonnell Media Center of the Public Library in New York; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal; Stadtkino Basel; Film-Coop Austin, Texas; Arco Art Fair, Madrid; Journées culturelles du Centre Mont St. Jacob, Québéc; Gallery Müllerdechiara, Berlin; Cinema Palace Sissach, Switzerland; etc.

Morocco, fiction, 86', 16mm, 1996

Production: soap factory, Basel/Brooklyn
Written & Directed by: Frank Matter

Starring: Lee Ann Thomas, Robert Margolis, Robert Occhipinti
Music: Leo Bachmann, Andrea Parkins, Joe Gallant, Smack Dab


Winner of Lagniappe Award, Film Sociatey of New Orleans. Festivals: Max-Ophuls (1997), Saarbrücken; Festival internazionale del film di Locarno (1997); Bergamo International Film Meeting (1997), Italy; Solothurner Filmtage (1997); Festival International du Cinéma Ste. Thérèse (1997), Canada; Festival Internacional de Cinema Figueira da Foz (1997), Portugal; New Orleans Film and Video Festival (1997), USA; New York Independent Film Festival (1998), USA; Calcutta Film Festival (1997), India; Ankara Film Festival (1999), Turkey (Meet the World Cinema).

Hannelore, fiction, 48', High8-Betacam SP, 1993

Production: soap factory, Basel/Brooklyn
Written & Directed by: Frank Matter & Michael Luisier

Starring: Kamill Krejci

AWARDS
  • Best Film - Audience Award for "The Definition of Insanity" at the Virginia Film Festival, Charlottesville, Virginia.
  • Best Film - Jury Prize for "The Definition of Insanity" at the Virginia Film Festival, Charlottesville, Virginia.
  • Best Director for "The Definition of Insanity" at the Chicago Independent Film Festival.
  • Best Feature Film for "The Definition of Insanity" at the Newport Beach Film Festival, California.
  • Special Jury Prize for "The Definition of Insanity" at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Int. Film Festival, Minnesota.
  • Rosa Camuna di Bronzo Audience Award for "The Definition of Insanity" at the Bergamo Film Meeting, Italy.
  • Audience Award for "The Definition of Insanity" at the Swiss American Film Festival New York.
  • Best Feature Film 35mm for "The Definition of Insanity" at the L.I. International Film Expo New York.
  • Best Educational Essay for "Beauty of My Island" (2001) at the Festival des Films sur l'Art de Montreal, the "most important event for films on art and artists" (La Presse).
  • Lagniappe Award of the Film Society of New Orleans for "Morocco" (1997)
  • Short Story Award "Bei Anruf Text", Basel (1993)

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Frank Matter
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