Matthew J. Roch

I began writing stories at a very young age. The first story I can remember was called Me and My Dog. I was in first grade and I received the young authors award for it. From then on I kept creative writing and making books every year after that. It wasn't until middle school that I began writing and performing skits and scenes for my reading, writing and drama class. It was then when I grew the idea of wanting to do it for the big screen. Once I left middle school and went to high school it was here that my writing came to a halt. I wouldn't pick it back up again until I graduated from college and decided to change my career. I started to research schools to attend and at a showcase is where I would meet a recruiter. He granted me largest scholarship to go attend at the New York Film Academy. This is where I would resume my writing career and learn how to write and perform for the screen. I started off writing only scenes. From there I learned how to write one page stories and kept developing and growing my knowledge. I adapted them to the screen and began producing. Over the years I have written many short stories, not all were adapted to the screen. I have five feature length scripts as well. I am currently producing one of them. It is called Wacko and I'm hoping to have it complete by the end of the year.

1. Your project has entered in our festival. What is your project about?
True Friend is about a bond that is formed between two strangers at a very young age and develops over time into more of a brotherhood.

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2. What are your ambitions with your project?
My greatest ambition for this project would be to find someone who enjoys the story as much as I do and could help me finance it into a full length feature.

3. Tell us something about your shooting? What pleasantly surprised you?
My bI'm not sure I have a role model but my favorite filmmaker right now is Christopher Nolan. His plots are more built around time but I enjoy how I have to think and put pieces together to understand his films. I'm amazed at how brilliantly he constructs his films and the more I watch them the more I keep finding new things. I've learned a lot from watching his films. iggest surprise wasn't in filming but more in post. I was amazed at how quickly I was able to put it together and how well it all came out. My biggest fear filming was trying to schedule all my actors for the same day. Due to chaotic schedules and some people moving out of the country and losing my first location, it was looking like this project wasn't going to get made at all. I'm greatful for everyone who helped on this and making themselves available so I could finish it. It was a great team effort.

4. For what group of spectators is your film targeted?
This film is for everyone but would have the biggest impact on people in late teens to middle age adults. This is the age group that would be able to look back and see if they ever had a friend like that and would be able to relate.

5. Why should distributors buy your film?
This film already has a global fan base and has been doing well. Any distributor that were to buy this would be able to help turn it into a feature and would already have an audience waiting for it. They would have great potential of profit with small risk knowing this film has been successful on the global scale.

6. How would you specify your work? What characterizes your film?
I would have to say that the majority of my stories are all revolved around human relationships. I prefer writing stories about this topic because I feel that is what people can relate to most and this is the essence of our existence.

7. Why did you decide to become a filmmaker?
The reason I became a filmmaker was after I graduated college I was going to work at a hospital and I saw that my next forty to fifty years were going to be the exact same thing every day and it scared me. I wanted to be able to do something fun and different and something I don't have to retire from and so I turned to my greatest passion. Telling stories.

8. Who is your role model?
I'm not sure I have a role model but my favorite filmmaker right now is Christopher Nolan. His plots are more built around time but I enjoy how I have to think and put pieces together to understand his films. I'm amazed at how brilliantly he constructs his films and the more I watch them the more I keep finding new things. I've learned a lot from watching his films.

9. Which movies are your favorites? Why?
Growing up I was always watching John Hughes films. I always enjoyed the characters he created and he always had witty diologue. I always had tears of laughter and often found myself quoting his films. They always left me feeling good. I still rewatch all his films to this day.

10. Where do you look for inspiration for your films?
My inspiration comes directly from people. Whether it's something I hear on the news or from conversations from friends or strangers. It is most often something I've heard and find intriguing and will start building the idea or story from there.

11. Which topics interest you the most?
I'm not so sure I have a topic but my favorite genre to work in is comedy. I've always enjoyed telling a joke and trying to make people laugh. For me it is where I have the most fun/joy. It's definitely my forte but as of my more recent projects they have been more drama driven.

12. What do you consider your greatest achievement in your career?
My greatest achievement would be that people actually enjoy my films. I've had people tell me that they actually felt emotions. For me to be able to do that, then I accomplished what I intended with my project.

13. What do you consider most important about filming?
I think the most important thing about filmmaking is having a great story to tell. If you start with a strong story you won't have to worry about creating big explosions or fancy video effects to try and help capture an audience. It's the story and the characters that draw people in and keep them watching. Everything else is just a bonus.

14. Which film technique of shooting do you consider the best?
I don't know if I have an actual technique that I would consider the best. I tackle every project differently starting with what is the best way to tell the story. From there then a majority of factors rely on a budget. Mine are never a big budget so I have to get creative. But if money, time and space wasn't an issue, I love shooting from a crane on most of my shots.

15. How would you rate/What is your opinion about current filmmaking?
I think the current filmmaking is great because people are getting very experimental and finding ways to break the rules and create new barriers. I'm seeing great projects with ideas and techniques I would have never thought of. If it wasn't for these daring people I think the industry would just be standing still.

16. What can disappoint you in a movie?
The biggest disappointment for me will always be a bad ending. My biggest let down is you've been built up over the past hour and you're waiting for this great reveal and it just fizzles out. Biggest let down for me.

17. Who supports you in your film career?
In the beginning nobody supported me. They all thought I was crazy (probably am) and would come back home with my tail between my legs. My biggest supporter now is my mother. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't be able to keep doing this. I would probably be working in a hospital somewhere.

18. What are the reactions to your film? (opinion of spectators, film critics, friends and family)
Most reactions I've gotten for my latest projects are they enjoy it and they think it's great and can't wait to see what I make next. I guess that's where I get the drive to keep doing it. People want to see what I make next.

19. Have you already visited any of the prestigious film festivals?
I'm hoping that I can visit some of these prestigious festivals with the current project I'm working on. Unfortunately, when i started submitting this project many of the festivals were online due to covid and are just returning back to in person now. If I'm lucky I could maybe attend this one.

20. What are your future plans in filmmaking carrier?
I'm currently shooting my first feature that I wrote. It's called Wacko. I'm hoping to have this one completed by the end of the year so I can start attending some of these elite festivals.

London Director Awards