Mathew David
Not long after graduating from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, I played the lead in Iris Prize short Burger, which won a Special Jury Prize at The Sundance Film Festival 2014. Since then I have worked behind the camera on over 9 Iris Prize produced LGBTQ+ short films including Arkasha Stevensons short Daisy and D.
Arkasha Stevenson is now in post production for her $50 million feature called The First Omen (The prequel to The Omen) and offered for me to come over to LA and shadow on the post production process in July 2023.
Thanks to Ymddiried’s grant I was able to fund traveling to LA for this fantastic opportunity.
My shadowing journey commenced with Arkasha Stevenson on the same day, but it encountered disruptions due to the SAG strikes. Despite the strike-related emergency meetings, I managed to learn about various aspects of the industry from financing to tax breaks to understanding the American rating system and the restrictions it imposes on certain content. I also gained insight into large-scale editing.
I was able to receive mentoring on pitching and script writing from Arkasha, who offered invaluable feedback after reviewing my pitch documents and scripts. We discussed potential future collaborations and explored visa options to work in America.
During my time in LA, I attended the Outfest film festival, where I engaged in several enriching activities:
Meeting multiple times with Andrew Murphy, co-head of Inside Out Toronto LGBTQ+ film festival.
Holding a meeting with Christina Ra, the vice president of production at MRC, to gain insights into funding decisions and her criteria for selecting filmmakers. She also provided feedback on my pitch documents.
Participating in filmmaker workshops that focused on Queer representation in film and gaming.
Attending screenings of feature films and actively participating in Q&A sessions with filmmakers.
Discussed with film programmer Mike Doherty about film selection, and what makes a good international film.
I express my gratitude for the funding provided, as it has granted me an unparalleled opportunity to delve into the industry and create a valuable network of connections. The knowledge and experiences I’ve gained during this period have exceeded my wildest expectations.
