MAGIC BOX
BIOGRAPHY
Matt Van Tine was born on December 8th, 1986 in Poughkeepsie, New York. Growing up, Matt’s favorite night of the week was Friday, not because of the weekend, but because that was family movie night at the Van Tine house. Friday nights were for discovering dinosaurs, searching for the Ark of the Covenant, and traveling back to 1955. With all the stresses of life, movie night was the one constant that brought everyone together and that’s what helped spark and inspire Matt’s love for the movies.
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Matt began his filmmaking career attending SUNY Dutchess Community College’s Communications & Media Arts program with his twin brother, Rich, where he was first introduced to visual story-telling. Matt transferred with Rich to CUNY Hunter College in the heart of New York City where Matt found his calling as a director, shooting
and directing many student films, culminating in writing and directing his first independent short film, THE PLAN in 2009. Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree, Matt collaborated with Rich on his first feature film directorial debut, Z-DAY, which was showcased in a sold out auditorium at their alma mater, SUNY Dutchess Community College.
Z-DAY was the first of many collaborations under the “Van Tine Design” brand.
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In 2012, Matt moved out west to Los Angeles where he earned a Master’s of Fine Arts in Film & Television Production at Loyola-Marymount University. During his time there, Matt directed a slate of short films, participated in many independent projects, and learned a lot about the entertainment business through various jobs and internships. In 2015, Matt’s thesis film, LET ME GO was accepted and screened at the Cannes International Film Festival under the Creative Minds Group. This accomplishment provided Matt with a greater insight into the international film market and helped transition him into the world of independent filmmaking.​
AWARDS/HIGHLIGHTS
2019, Best Short Film | JACKAL | Terror in the Bay Film Festival
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2019, Nomination for Best Director | JACKAL | Terror in the Bay Film Festival
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2019, Best Short Film | JACKAL | Greanhorn Film Festival
2018, Best Director, Short Film | JACKAL | Studio City Film Festival
2018, Filmaker of the Year, Burbank | A SIDE OF FRIES | Glendale Int'l Film Festival
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2018, Official Selection Shriekfest Film Festival | JACKAL
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2018, Nomination for Outstanding Producing | A SIDE OF FRIES | Hollywood Golden Film Awards
2015, Official Selection Cannes Int'l Film Festival | LET ME GO