Matt Johnson (director)

{{Infobox person

| name = Matt Johnson

| image = 07 MEDLEY Matt Johnson Director Still.jpg

| caption = Johnson in 2022

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|10|05}}

| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = York University

| occupation = Writer, producer, director, actor

| years_active = 2007–present

| known_for = Nirvana the Band the Show
The Dirties
Operation Avalanche
Nirvanna the Band the Show
BlackBerry
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie

| spouse =

| children =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Matt Johnson (born October 5, 1985) is a Canadian writer, producer, director, and actor. He first attracted accolades for his low-budget independent feature films, including The Dirties (2013), which won Best Narrative Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival, and Operation Avalanche (2016), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/why-matt-johnson-is-taking-his-film-to-sundance-instead-of-t/|title=Why Matt Johnson is taking Operation Avalanche to Sundance instead of TIFF|date=January 21, 2016|website=Now|access-date=June 1, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/how-operation-avalanche-director-matt-johnson-boldly-infiltrated-nasa/article27974137/|title=How Operation Avalanche director Matt Johnson boldly infiltrated NASA|website=The Globe and Mail|date=December 31, 2015|access-date=June 1, 2016}}

Johnson achieved acclaim and commercial success with his third feature film, BlackBerry (2023), which documented the rise and fall of the BlackBerry phone. The film premiered in competition at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, and went on to win several accolades including the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association and a record-setting 14 Canadian Screen Awards from 17 nominations including Best Motion Picture.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-05 |title=BlackBerry, Swan Song Win Rogers Best Canadian Film and Best Canadian Documentary |url=https://torontofilmcritics.com/features/blackberry-swan-song-win-rogers-best-canadian-film-and-best-canadian-documentary/ |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=Toronto Film Critics Association |language=en-CA}}{{Cite news |last=Knight |first=Chris |date=March 6, 2024 |title=BlackBerry the most nominated film in Canadian Screen Awards history |url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/movies/blackberry-the-most-nominated-film-in-canadian-screen-awards-history |access-date=March 27, 2024 |work=The National Post}}

Johnson is also known for co-creating, directing, co-writing, and co-starring in the 2007–2009 mockumentary sitcom web series Nirvana the Band the Show, its 2017–2018 spiritual sequel television series Nirvanna the Band the Show, and the 2025 feature film based on both, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.

Career

= 2007–2009: ''Nirvana the Band the Show'' =

Johnson's major directorial debut was the independent mockumentary-sitcom web series Nirvana the Band the Show, which ran from 2007–2009.{{Cite web|url=http://www.blogto.com/people/2010/04/toronto_through_the_eyes_of_nirvana_the_band_the_shows_jay_mccarrol_and_matt_johnson/|title=Toronto through the eyes of Nirvanna The Band The Show's Jay McCarrol and Matt Johnson|website=blogTO|date=April 6, 2010|access-date=June 20, 2016}} Johnson co-created and co-starred in the series with lifelong best friend and fellow actor/filmmaker Jay McCarrol.

= 2013–2014: ''The Dirties'' =

Johnson achieved widespread critical acclaim in Canada with his first feature film The Dirties,{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/the-dirties-a-bravura-debut-for-an-up-and-coming-canadian-filmmaker/article14644239/|title=The Dirties: A bravura debut for an up-and-coming Canadian filmmaker|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=October 4, 2013|access-date=June 26, 2016}} which won Best Narrative Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jun/02/matt-johnson-the-dirties-director|title=The Dirties director Matt Johnson on fame and high-school shootings|last=Godfrey|first=Alex|date=June 2, 2014|website=The Guardian|access-date=June 1, 2016}} He was a Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Editing at the 2nd Canadian Screen Awards in 2014 for The Dirties.{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiewire.com/2014/01/canadian-screen-award-nominations-include-villeneuves-enemy-dolans-tom-at-the-farm-and-more-194207/|title=Canadian Screen Award Nominations Include Villeneuve's 'Enemy,' Dolan's 'Tom at the Farm' and More {{!}} IndieWire|last=Hanna|first=Beth|website=www.indiewire.com|date=13 January 2014 |language=en|access-date=2017-02-22}}

The film had a production budget of $10,000. After finishing production, an additional $45,000 was needed to secure licensing rights for the music used in the film. All the film's financing came "out of pocket."{{cite news |url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/sydneylevine/matt-johnson-the-dirties-nirvana-the-band-the-show-locarno-film-festival |title=Interview with Matt Johnson, Director of 'The Dirties' |work=Indiewire |date=September 5, 2013}}

There was almost no scripted dialogue and several scenes were shot without some of the participants' awareness.{{cite web |url=http://thetfs.ca/2013/10/03/blood-hallway-interview-dirties-director-matt-johnson-producer-evan-morgan/#.U3uJRvldWBI |title=BLOOD IN THE HALLWAY: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRTIES DIRECTOR MATT JOHNSON AND PRODUCER EVAN MORGAN |publisher=Toronto Film Scene |date=October 3, 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com/news/interviews/175-matthew-johnson-director-of-the-dirties-exclusive-sarasota-film-festival-interview |title=MATTHEW JOHNSON Director of THE DIRTIES: Exclusive Sarasota Film Festival Interview |date=March 30, 2013}}

= 2016: ''Operation Avalanche'' =

Operation Avalanche premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Johnson had received an offer to premiere the film at the Toronto International Film Festival but declined, reasoning that the film would be lost in the large number of films shown there.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/how-operation-avalanche-director-matt-johnson-boldly-infiltrated-nasa/article27974137/|title=How Operation Avalanche director Matt Johnson boldly infiltrated NASA|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|access-date=29 June 2018|language=en-ca}} Lionsgate released it in the US on September 16, 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.indiewire.com/2016/07/operation-avalanche-trailer-fake-moon-landing-sundance-film-festival-2016-1201708334/|title='Operation Avalanche' Trailer: Alt-History Doc Goes Behind-The-Scenes of Faking the Moon Landing|last=Murthi|first=Vikram|work=IndieWire|date=2016-07-21|access-date=2016-09-25}} He was nominated for Best Director at the 5th Canadian Screen Awards in 2017 for his work on Operation Avalanche.{{Cite news|url=https://www.academy.ca/2017/matt-johnson/|title=Matt Johnson {{!}} Achievement in Direction {{!}} Canadian Screen Awards|date=2017-01-13|newspaper=Academy.ca|access-date=2017-02-22|language=en-US}}

The film received mostly positive reviews from critics.{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/operation_avalanche/|title=Operation Avalanche (2016)|work=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=2017-01-06}}{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/operation-avalanche|title=Operation Avalanche|work=Metacritic|access-date=2017-01-06}} Peter Debruge of Variety wrote, "Matt Johnson and Owen Williams' wild, borderline-illegal stunt delivers big time on its crazy premise."{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/festivals/operation-avalanche-film-review-sundance-1201692186/|title=Sundance Film Review: 'Operation Avalanche'|last=Debruge|first=Peter|work=Variety|date=2016-01-29|access-date=2016-05-15}} John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter called it a "likeable if not always convincing fantasy that gets much mileage from its period feel".{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/operation-avalanche-sundance-review-858579|title='Operation Avalanche': Sundance Review|last=DeFore|first=John|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2016-01-22|access-date=2016-05-15}} Anthony Kaufman of Screen Daily wrote that the film "comes across more as a rambling lark than a tightly conceived film".{{cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/operation-avalanche-sundance-review/5099229.article|title='Operation Avalanche': Sundance Review|last=Kaufman|first=Anthony|work=Screen Daily|date=2016-01-23|access-date=2017-06-29}}

= 2016–2018: ''Nirvanna the Band the Show'' =

In 2016, the Nirvana the Band the Show web series was adapted into a television series titled Nirvanna the Band the Show which premiered on Viceland in 2017. Several episodes of the first season were shown at the Toronto International Film Festival.{{cite news|url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/television/nirvanna-the-band-the-show-is-back-viceland-september-2016/|title=Nirvanna the Band the Show is back – but this time it's bigger and on proper TV|date=June 6, 2016|newspaper=Now|access-date=August 12, 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/arts/movies/tiff-2016-announces-its-canadian-lineup-including-films-from-xavier-dolan-deepa-mehta-bruce-mcdonald|title=TIFF 2016 announces its Canadian lineup, including films from Xavier Dolan, Deepa Mehta, Bruce McDonald|newspaper=National Post|date=August 3, 2016|access-date=August 12, 2016}} The show is not a direct continuation of the web series, serving as more of a spiritual sequel, but features occasional subtle callbacks.{{cite news|url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/television/nirvanna-the-band-the-show-is-back-viceland-september-2016/ |title=Nirvanna the Band the Show is back – but this time it's bigger and on proper TV |newspaper=Now Magazine |date=June 6, 2016 |access-date=September 12, 2016}}

= 2023: ''BlackBerry'' =

In 2022, Johnson directed and co-wrote, with Matthew Miller, the film BlackBerry, about the rise and fall of Canadian tech company Research in Motion.Manori Ravindran, [https://variety.com/2022/film/global/blackberry-movie-smartphone-jay-baruchel-1235347842/ "BlackBerry’: Story of Doomed Smartphone Company Casts Jay Baruchel & Glenn Howerton, XYZ Films Boards Sales for TIFF"]. Variety, August 23, 2022. The film stars Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie, Jay Baruchel as Mike Lazaridis, and Johnson as Douglas Fregin.Barry Hertz, [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-research-in-motion-rim-movie-waterloo/ "BlackBerry: Canadian film starring Jay Baruchel to chronicle rise and fall of Research In Motion"]. The Globe and Mail, August 23, 2022. BlackBerry premiered in competition at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 17, 2023,{{Cite web |title=BlackBerry |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/2023/programme/202310362.html |access-date=February 17, 2023 |website=Berlin International Film Festival}} and attracted widespread critical acclaim.{{Cite web |title=BlackBerry |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blackberry |access-date=May 24, 2023 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango Media}}

The film won several accolades, including the $50,000 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association.

The film broke the record for the most nominations for a film at the Canadian Screen Awards, with 17 nominations at the 2024 ceremony.{{Cite news |date=2024-03-06 |title=Matt Johnson's BlackBerry breaks Canadian Screen Awards record with 17 nominations |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-embargoed-until-march-6-at-7-am-est-matt-johnsons-blackberry-breaks/ |access-date=2024-03-26 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}} The film later won 14 awards, including Best Motion Picture.{{Cite news |last=Knight |first=Chris |date=March 6, 2024 |title=BlackBerry the most nominated film in Canadian Screen Awards history |url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/movies/blackberry-the-most-nominated-film-in-canadian-screen-awards-history |access-date=March 27, 2024 |work=The National Post}}

= 2025: ''Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie'' =

Following the success of BlackBerry, Johnson received funding from Telefilm to make a feature film adaptation of Nirvana the Band the Show and Nirvanna the Band the Show. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie premiered on March 9, 2025 at SXSW.

=Other work=

In addition to his own productions, he has had acting roles in feature films such as Diamond Tongues, and the Kazik Radwanski projects How Heavy This Hammer, Anne at 13,000 Ft. and Matt and Mara.

Johnson and Jay McCarrol co-created and co-starred in an animated spiritual successor to Nirvanna the Band the Show made for children called Matt & Bird Break Loose in 2021.{{Cite news |last=Hertz |first=Barry |date=2021-10-14 |title=Canadian TV's most dangerous minds try something new: a cartoon on Amazon Kids+ |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/article-canadian-tvs-most-dangerous-minds-try-something-new-a-cartoon-on/ |access-date=2023-01-21}}

Johnson and Miller founded their own production house, Zapruder Films, in 2013. Three years later, in 2016, the company released its first project, Operation Avalanche. The company is still active today.{{Cite web |date=January 21, 2016 |title=Why Matt Johnson is taking Operation Avalanche to Sundance instead of TIFF |url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/why-matt-johnson-is-taking-his-film-to-sundance-instead-of-t/ |access-date=June 1, 2016 |website=Now}}{{Cite web |date=December 31, 2015 |title=How Operation Avalanche director Matt Johnson boldly infiltrated NASA |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/how-operation-avalanche-director-matt-johnson-boldly-infiltrated-nasa/article27974137/ |access-date=June 1, 2016 |website=The Globe and Mail}}{{Cite news |title=How Operation Avalanche director Matt Johnson boldly infiltrated NASA |language=en-ca |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/how-operation-avalanche-director-matt-johnson-boldly-infiltrated-nasa/article27974137/ |access-date=29 June 2018}}

Johnson and Miller won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Adapted Screenplay,Connie Thiessen, [https://broadcastdialogue.com/canadian-screen-awards-winners-cinematic-arts-2/ "Canadian Screen Awards winners: Cinematic Arts"]. Broadcast Dialogue, May 30, 2024. and Johnson won the award for Best Director,Etan Vlessing, [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blackberry-little-bird-canadian-screen-awards-2024-1235912645/ "‘BlackBerry,’ ‘Little Bird’ Dominate Canadian Screen Awards"]. The Hollywood Reporter, May 31, 2024. at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards in 2024 for BlackBerry.

In 2024, he served as jury president of the Compétition Cheval Noir at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival.{{cite web |title=Competitions |url=https://fantasiafestival.com/en/festival-2024/awards-juries/competitions |website=Fantasia Festival |access-date=21 August 2024}}