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Matthew MetcalfeFRHistS FRGS
Metcalfe in 2023
Born	Matthew Christian Metcalfe Christchurch, New Zealand
Nationality	New Zealand
Education	Auckland University University of Oxford
Occupation(s)	Film producer and writer
Years active	1998 - present
Notable work	The Dead Lands Dean Spanley Whina
Spouse	Elizabeth Metcalfe

Matthew Christian Metcalfe FRHistS FRGS is a New Zealand film producer and screenwriter known for his biographical and documentary films. He has also produced comedies and drama films, as well as being involved in several television series.

In the early 2000s, Metcalfe worked as a music producer in the early 2000s before moving into film and television. He produced several short films, before producting feature films and television series. Notable films he has produced include Dean Spanley (2008), The Dead Lands (2014), Beyond The Edge (2013), Whina (2022), McLaren (2017), Mothers of the Revolution (2021) The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (2023) and The Lie (2024).

Early life and education

Metcalfe was born in Christchurch, New Zealand. His family moved to Papua New Guinea to then Canberra, Australia, when Metcalfe was a child.

He did military service in Australia and New Zealand. He completed a Bachelor of Commerce Degree at Auckland University, and later the University of Oxford, England, where he received an Advanced Diploma in English History. He was interested in film during his student days.

Career

1998–2003: music videos and short films

Metcalfe worked as a music video producer in the early 2000s, with Shihad, Hayley Westenra and Che Fu. Metcalfe's first credit as a producer was for the 1999 short film, 9 Across. He was involved with the script writer, Jesse Warn who was promised to getting 9 Across on-screen. 9 Across won the script writer an award for Best Contribution to a Short at the 1999 NZ Film and TV Awards.

During the early 2000s Metcalfe started working on more short films and music videos. Working in between jobs as a waiter, shelf stacker and cinema usher. At one point he went into the New Zealand Radio station, bFM and offered to make a music video for any band with a budget of $1,000. He then went on to produce music videos for Shihad and Hayley Westenra. In 2001 he produced the Tui-Award-winning music video for Che Fu's Fade Away.

2003–2007: early films

Metcalfe teamed up again with film writer Jesse Warn to work on more projects. They worked further on with a TV series about the New Zealand band, Steriogram. He teamed up with Warn again to produce the 2003 film Nemesis Game. In 2005 he produced the TV series, Air Force which was about the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He then went to focus on a more personal documentary about his own father, Frank, in Vietnam - My Father's War which was released in 2006.

Around this time Metcalfe started to direct documentaries including the 2007 documentary, Soldiers of Fortune. He was also involved in the development of the 2008 feature-length documentary, Relocated Mountains which follows a Kurdish refugee's trip from New Zealand back to Iraq. For both of these films, Metcalfe spent time in Baghdad, Iraq. Metcalfe has noted that during the filming, him and the film crew were being secretly filmed by a kidnap squad.

2007–2013: documentary film breakthrough

In 2007, a film that Metcalfe produced, The Ferryman was released. At this point he began working with producer Alan Harris with Dean Spanley which was released in 2008.

Metcalfe went on to produce a further four features with Toa Fraser, including, Giselle, The Dead Lands and the films, 6 Days and The Free Man. He also produced the romantic comedy, Love Birds that was released in 2011. In 2013 he produced the documentary, Beyond The Edge. Metcalfe also portrayed the English mountaineer and author Wilfrid Noyce in the film.

2013–2020: further feature films

Metcalfe then worked with New Zealand producer Fraser Brown to work on more documentaries such as, McLaren, Born Racer - The Scott Dixon Story and Wayne. In 2020 Metcalfe produced the documentary, Dawn Raid. In 2021, Metcalfe produced Mothers of the Revolution which follows the story of the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp protests. In 2022 the film was nominated for the Envy Best Single Documentary award at The Grierson Trust. Dawn Raid was also nominated in 2022 by The Grierson Trust for the Sky Documentaries Best Music Documentary award.

2020–2024: Whina, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Billion Dollar Heist

In 2022 Metcalfe was one of the producers for the biographical film about the life of Dame Whina Cooper, Whina.

In 2023 a documentary film based on the book by Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck was released. Metcalfe served as one of the writers and producers. Metcalfe served as one of the producers for the horror mystery film The Tank, which was released late April 2023. In July 2023 Billion Dollar Heist held its first public screening as part of the 2023 New Zealand International Film Festival.

2024-present: Never Look Away, The Lie, A Mistake and upcoming films

For the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, the film Never Look Away was premiered. Metcalfe was a co-writer, with director Lucy Lawless, for the film, as well as a producer. The film is a feature-length documentary of New Zealand-born CNN photojournalist Margaret Moth. The film was directed by Lucy Lawless.

In 2024, The Lie was released, which follows the story of Grace Millane, a British tourist who went missing and was later found dead in 2018. A Mistake was released in June 2024 which was produced by Metcalfe, a medical-drama film which was directed by Christine Jeffs and based on the novel of the same name by Carl Shuker. The film had its world premiere at Tribeca Festival on 7 June 2024.

Films that are currently awaiting release produced by Metcalfe are Ash and Moss & Freud.

Recognition and awards

Metcalfe is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Geographical Society

In 2002, Metcalfe won a Tui Award for best music video. This was for Che Fu's, Fade Away video that was released the same year.

In his film career, Metcalfe has received several accolades. His film Nemesis Game (2003) was nominated for an award at the Qantas Film and Television Awards.

In 2009, Dean Spanley won the award for Best Feature at the 2009 Qantas Film and Television Awards. This award was shared with co-producer Alan Harris.

In 2013, Metcalfe was awarded Independent Producer of the Year at the SPADA Screen Industry Awards.

Also in 2013, Metcalfe was included in the nomination for Beyond the Edge for Best Documentary at the 2013 Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards.

Filmography

Feature films

Short films

Television

References

1. ^ "Matthew Metcalfe". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
2. "Matthew Metcalfe". Big Screen Symposium. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
3. "9 Across". New Zealand Film Commission. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
4. "9 Across | Short Film". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
5. "Awards | Fade Away | Music Video". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
6. "Nemesis Game". New Zealand Film Commission. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
7. "Nemesis Game | Film". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
8. "Vietnam - My Father's War | Television". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
9. ^ "Breaking the silence". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
10. "Dying for a fortune". Stuff. 2009-01-31. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
11. "Relocated Mountains". ITVS. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
12. "NZ documentary tells story of Kurdish refugee". The Big Idea. 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
13. "Kawau Island scriptwriter in running for Bafta". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
14. "Dean Spanley". Transmission Films. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
15. "Sir Ed to conquer Everest in 3D". Stuff. 2012-10-20. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
16. Kemp, Stuart (2007-11-01). "O'Toole, Northam set for 'Spanley'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
17. Honeycutt, Kirk (2008-10-08). "Dean Spanley". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
18. "Success at festival big boost for NZ movies". NZ Herald. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
19. "Watch: Māori culture and New Zealand's natural beauty to be showcased in The Dead Lands TV series". NZ Herald. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
20. "Filming Underway On Māori Action Epic the Dead Lands | Ministry for Culture and Heritage". mch.govt.nz. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
21. "The Dead Lands". Transmission Films. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
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23. New Zealand International Film Festival: The Free Man, retrieved 2021-08-08
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35. "The Grierson Trust". griersontrust.org. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
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37. "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** gets the big screen treatment". 1 News. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
38. "The Tank (2023) Review - Voices From The Balcony". www.voicesfromthebalcony.com. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
39. Kenigsberg, Ben (2023-01-04). "'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%!' Review: A Blunt Philosophy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
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42. "Lucy Lawless' Debut Feature Never Look Away to Premiere at Sundance". New Zealand Film Commission. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
43. James, Caryn (2024-01-19). "'Never Look Away' Review: Lucy Lawless Directs a Generic Documentary About a Fearless War Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
44. "Grace Millane documentary the first NZ film to hit Netflix milestone". NZ Herald. 2024-09-05. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
45. "A Mistake | 2024 Tribeca Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
46. "Society elects 308 new Fellows, Associate Fellows, Members and Postgraduate Members". Royal Historical Society. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
47. Fellows list 2022, Royal Historical Society
48. "The Team". GFC Films. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
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53. "DEAN SPANLEY". ngataonga.org.nz. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
54. "Dean Spanley". New Zealand Film Commission. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
55. "SPADA Screen Industry Award 2018 Recipients Announced". www.scoop.co.nz. November 16, 2018. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
56. "Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Award Nominees 2013 Announced". www.rialtochannel.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
57. Walker, Scott (2023-04-20). "The Tank Apple TV". Apple TV. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
58. "The Tank (2023) Review - Voices From The Balcony". www.voicesfromthebalcony.com. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
59. New Zealand International Film Festival: Billion Dollar Heist, retrieved 2023-07-11
60. Garson, Emma (28 March 2024). "New Grace Millane documentary on murder case to air in New Zealand cinemas". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 5 September 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
61. July 06, Christian Holub; EDT, 2023 at 12:00 PM. "Aaron Paul and Eiza Gonzalez tease their mystery sci-fi movie 'Ash'". EW.com. Retrieved 2023-07-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
62. Richards, Will (2022-08-29). "'Ash': Flying Lotus' new sci-fi thriller to star Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tessa Thompson". NME. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
63. Ritman, Alex (2023-02-02). "Kate Moss Casts Ellie Bamber to Portray Her in 'Moss & Freud' Biopic". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
64. Lucas, James, Moss & Freud (Drama), Derek Jacobi, Ellie Bamber, Ross Ringwood, GFC Films, General Film Corporation, retrieved 2024-10-10
65. "Relocated Mountains | ITVS". itvs.org. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
66. "Breaking the silence - New Zealand News". NZ Herald. 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2023-07-12.

External links

• Matthew Metcalfe on NZ on Screen
• Matthew Metcalfe at IMDb

• New Zealand film producers
• Living people
• Mass media people from Christchurch