Matthew R. Ford

Writer/Director from Birmingham, U.K. and Director of Pretty Hate Productions, a small, independent short and feature film production company. Matthew is also the director of ViewfinderUK CIC, a social enterprise that uses film, drama and creative mediums to develop dis-advantaged young people from the city. Viewfinder and Pretty Hate Productions often collaborate as companies on films made alongside young people about relevant personal and social issues. These films are used nationally in youth organisations as part of their work with young people. Matthew has a Masters in Creative Writing from BCU, where he graduated in 2014 and is a tutor at the Birmingham Screen and Film school where he delivers a second year module on Social Filmmaking and Effective Collaboration. He works extensively with the internationally recognised and award-winning Daniel Alexander Films and believes in offering opportunities to new Birmingham based creatives wherever possible, recently personally part-funding 3 short films by filmmakers in the city as part of a larger project into Birmingham's film history. Since 2011, Matthew has written and directed 10 short films, with 'Losing Innocence'- his first short film- winning selection at the LA Indie Film Festival in 2012 and the Southern California Creative and Innovative Film Festival in 2013. In 2018 'Climbing Trees' was completed, winning 6 awards- including awards for Best Director and Best Actor. 2019 saw the completion and release of 'Safely to Shore', which won a further 9 awards- including a quartet for the films lead Sharni Tapako-Brown. In 2021, the short documentary 'In the Que' about the iconic Birmingham nightclub - The Que Club- was released and included in a Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery exhibit where it was viewed by an estimated 800,000 people over a 4 month period. The documentary will be released online at the end of 2022. At the start of 2022 Matthew completed the short film, 'Left Behind' which completed its festival run with 7 official selections and 2 nomination wins. 'Empty Pages' the film was made as Viewfinder in collaboration with psychology based drama company Recre8 and was also released for free use by youth organisations across the country. In 2023, Matthew will be writing the short film screenplay for Daniel Alexander's 'Gale - stay away from Oz' project and Pretty Hate Productions will complete their second documentary about the history of Birmingham in Cinema. The company will also begin production on their long delayed final short film's 'Ghost Remains' and 'Breakage' before Matthew begins work on his first novel.