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Matthew Lessner
Matthew Lessner at the Sundance 2014 Awards Ceremony
Born
Walnut Creek, California
Nationality
American
Occupation
Filmmaker
Notable work
Chapel Perilous, The Woods, By Modern Measure, Darling Darling, Automatic at Sea
Lessner's second short film, By Modern Measure, premiered at South by Southwest[10] and screened at 30 film festivals[11] including the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.[12] In January 2011 the Sundance Institute released "By Modern Measure" on The YouTube Screening room as part of its Sundance Film Festival Classics series.[13]
In August 2011, Lessner was awarded a San Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grant for screenwriting in support of feature film tentatively titled Terror Tuesday.[22] In May 2012, Lessner was awarded an additional San Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grant for development of the feature tentatively titled Terror Tuesday.[14][23]
In 2017, Lessner released his second feature film Automatic at Sea], which became embroiled in the Pizzagate conspiracy theory prior to its release, resulting in Lessner receiving death threats and being accused of creating coded propaganda for the Clinton Foundation.[24]Werner Herzog called the film "unusual and courageous".[25]Automatic at Sea screened at festivals and theaters worldwide including at the Slamdance Film Festival, the ArcLight Hollywood, the American Film Festival, and the New Hampshire Film Festival where the film won the Narrative Grand Jury Prize.[26][27]
Episodic
In March 2021, the pilot for Lessner's metaphysical comedy series The Position, world premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in the Episodic Pilot Competition.[28]
Fine art
In April 2016, Champis Solutions, a solo installation by Lessner opened at Nevven Gallery in Gothenburg, Sweden. Champis Solutions was Phase Two in the ongoing Seven Phase project titled in Anticipation of the Unexpected.[29]
In late 2018, Lessner was awarded a grant from the Swedish art council Kulturbryggan for the development of an interactive film exhibition entitled SAINT Y2K.[30]
In June 2020, years 3 and 4 of Lessner's ongoing interactive seven year film project In Anticipation of the Unexpected were exhibited at Nevven Gallery in Gothenburg, Sweden.[31]
In the fall of 2020 Lessner's immersive, interactive experience SAINT Y2K opened as a solo exhibition in Stockholm, Sweden.[32]
In January 2023 Lessner's interactive neurofeedback exhibition Hyacinthe opened as a solo exhibition at SKF/Konstnärshuset in Stockholm, Sweden. [33]
Music videos
Lessner has directed over a dozen music videos including for the Dirty Projectors' single "Stillness is the Move" which was ranked one of the best music videos of 2009 by Stereogum.[34][35] He also directed the video Fool's Gold's "Surprise Hotel".[36]
Lessner has collaborated with Cameron Stallones of Sun Araw who contributed a cover of Neil Young's 'Thrasher' to the soundtrack for The Woods.[50] In 2009 they released Sun Araw featuring Matthew Lessner – In Orbit through Stunned Records.[51]
Lessner and his younger sister Sophia Lessner have collaborated on a musical project called Masons . They released their first tape In the Basement of the Temple through Stunned Records in 2008.[52]
Lessner published an article in Filmmaker (magazine) recounting his experiences with online conspiracy theorists in the lead up to the release of his feature film Automatic at Sea.[55]
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