Matthew Holmes (director)

Matthew Holmes is an Australian film director, producer, writer and actor.

Matthew Holmes
Born
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • actor
  • film producer
Years active1999–present
SpouseNadia Fragnito

Career

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Holmes started his film career as a stop-motion animator[1] and sculptor on multiple award-winning short films. He also worked as an animator on several short films directed by Michael Cusack, including The Book-Keeper, (R)evolution and Gargoyle. Gargoyle won an AACTA Award for Best Short Animation in 2006.[2]

Holmes first feature Twin Rivers was a self-financed period drama and was made primarily with support from family and friends. Filming began in 2001 and continued for four years, wrapping in 2004. Post production took two years to complete and was aided by Australian film director Rolf de Heer.[3]

His second feature The Legend of Ben Hall (2016) was an Australian Western based on the life of Australian bushranger Ben Hall. The film started as Kickstarter funded short film until the project was expanded into a feature.[4] Australian director Greg McLean joined the project as an Executive Producer in February 2015.[5] The Legend of Ben Hall was released in Australia in 2016 and internationally in 2017. In 2020, the film was listed amongst '10 Great Australian Westerns' by the British Film Institute.[6]

Holmes' revenge-drama The Cost was released in 2023.[7]

Filmography

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  • The Runaway Cowboys, short (1993)
  • The Galaxies Tastiest Milkshake, short (1994)
  • It's a Dog's Life, short (1996)
  • The Scam, short (1999)
  • The BookKeeper, short (1999) (animator)
  • Eggabord & Bacon-Boy, short (2001)
  • (R)evolution short (2003) (animator)
  • The Biscuit Effect, feature (2004)
  • Gargoyle, short (2006) (animator)
  • Twin Rivers, feature (2007)
  • Crooked, web series (2010)
  • The Vandabelles – Say Goodbye, music video (2011)
  • Woody, short (2013) (animator)
  • The Artifice, short (2014)
  • The Legend of Ben Hall, feature (2016)[8][9]
  • The Cost, feature (2022)[10]
  • Fear Below, feature (2024)[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Matthew Holmes and The Cost Benefit of Indie Filmmaking". Filmink. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  2. ^ "2006 Australian Film Institute Awards". Ioncinema. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  3. ^ Cochrane, Glenn. "'Twin Rivers': Aussie Indie Gem Finally Gets Its Well-Deserved New Release". Screen Realm. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Bushranger movie set to shoot". Inside Film. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Exclusive: Meet the cast of 'The Legend of Ben Hall'". Cinema Australia. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  6. ^ "10 great Australian westerns".
  7. ^ "Matthew Holmes Talks About the Tangible Tension of Thriller Film The Cost in This Interview". The Curb. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  8. ^ Linden, Sheri (16 December 2016). "'The Legend of Ben Hall': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  9. ^ Hall, Sandra (21 November 2016). "The Legend of Ben Hall review: The final nine months of an overlooked bushranger". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  10. ^ Nystrom, Lisa (11 October 2023). "The Cost". FilmInk. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Hermione Corfield to front Matthew Holmes' 'Fear Below'". Inside Film. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
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