MATÍAS  SÁNCHEZ  FILMMAKER

ABOUT MATÍAS SÁNCHEZ

 

Matías Sánchez López (1982) is a Chilean filmmaker based in Vancouver, Canada. He debuted in the film as writer, producer and director of Julio llega en Abril (2014), feature film about marijuana and a dog. The film had its Avant Premiere in Santiago de Chile at Cine Arte Alameda and remained in Chilean theaters from April 17 until May 14, 2014. Well received by the magazine critic Wikén El Mercurio Ernesto Garratt wrote: ''This small and Chilean comedy is funny Matías Sánchez López debut in direction. With minimal elements, manages to raise a particularly interesting comedy in its first part: when Julio, young, sound man, about to travel, do not know who to leave his beloved dog Manuel. Looking for accommodation for him and also for his marijuana plants. Billed as the cannabis decriminalization, this film really focuses more on the master-dog relationship and hence arise the highlights, including an absurd and humorous animation. Beware the cameo of Nelson Avila and Ana Maria Gazmuri''. The film traveled successfully by Valparaiso City, La Serena City, Concepción City and Puerto Montt City, where he sparked controversy after the regional director of SENDA (National Office for the Prevention and Rehabilitation of Drug and Alcohol), Carla Comicheo, noted after the show: ''I think it's a film that deserves to be seen to form an opinion (...) Social having the cannabis decriminalization is permeating youth against drug''. In an interview with Digital FM Puerto Montt, Matias Sanchez explained that production can talk about a situation that is present in the world today: ''The film is part of these new winds of Chilean cinema, dealing with an issue from comedy, because through this kind is easier to play certain sensitive situations''. At year's end Julio llega en Abril won third place among 47 premieres in the annual survey Cinechile.cl site where visitors vote for their favorite Chilean film of the year. He also competed for being the best soundtrack of Chilean films in FICVIÑA 2014. Before directorial debut in 2011 with a group of filmmakers, Sanchez created SANFRIK Festival National Contracine, a critique from the margins to the curatorship of film festivals in Chile, with exhibitions in Madrid (Spain) and Buenos Aires (Argentina), in addition to a dozen Chilean cities. That year he co-directed documentary piece by the video artist and Raoul Ruiz’s actor, Rodrigo Maturana: "Urban Archaeology: What the lumpen left", a surreal tour of his house in ruins. Matías also wrote, produced and directed the short film "Malmiedo" (2011), screened at the Festival of Cinema and Antisocial Social FECISO. His short film "Míchel" (2009) was screened at film festivals Lebu (Chile), Festival Cine B (Chile) and La Boca del Lobo (Madrid). He has run workshops experimental film, animation and directing actors, plus a cinema for 30 people. In 2010 he worked as a journalist in the Press Department of Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN), where he performed work reporting, editing, script writing and speech of news stories in sports competitions. He has written in The Clinic and El Ciudadano. Currently working on the script for his second film.