Matty Rich
{{short description|American screenwriter}}
{{Infobox person
|name=Matty Rich
|birth_name=Matthew Statisfield Richardson
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1971|11|26}}
|birth_place= New York City, US
|occupation=Film director, screenwriter
}}
Matty Rich (born Matthew Statisfield Richardson, November 26, 1971), is an American film director,{{cite news|title=The Inkwell (1994) Review/Film; Young, Black and Confused In the Complicated 1970's|authorlink=Stephen Holden|author=Holden, Stephen|work=The New York Times |date=April 22, 1994|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C03EEDE1031F931A15757C0A962958260}} screenwriter, and video game executive.
Career
Rich broke into the film world with the 1991 film Straight Out of Brooklyn, which was financed by credit cards and donations. Rich also plays Larry Love, a major character in the film. The low-budget independent film grossed $2.7 million at the box office and only cost $450,000 to make. Rich wrote the film as a short story at age 17, and first filmed it as an 8-minute short for himself and high school students.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} The film was critically acclaimed, and Rich won many awards, including an Independent Spirit Award.
In interviews, Rich had proudly stated that even though he dropped out of New York University's (NYU) famed Tisch School of the Arts after one month (he accused the faculty of racism),{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302010,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070526085243/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302010,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 26, 2007|title=Trey Ellis disappointed with The Inkwell outcome|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=1994-04-29|author=Ricapito, Maria|access-date=2013-12-12}} he still made a successful film. This drew criticism from Spike Lee, a Tisch graduate, who accused Rich of being "ignorant".{{cite web|url=http://www.blackfilm.com/0107/features/spikeguerillainterview.shtml|title=Spike Lee on Filmmaking|publisher=BlackFilm.com|author=Metcalfe, Nasser|date=July 1999}} Rich's second film, 1994's The Inkwell, received mixed reviews. He has not made another film since.
In 2005, Rich re-emerged as the director and screenwriter of the video game, 187 Ride or Die{{cite web|url=http://www.g4tv.com/g4archives/features/52189/Matty_Rich_187_Ride_or_Die_Fo_Life.html|title=Matty Rich: 187 Ride or Die Fo' Life|publisher=G4|author=Meyer, Frank|date=August 1, 2005}} which was not a success.
He is CEO of Matty Rich Games, a Los Angeles–based gaming company that specializes in family-oriented and Christian-themed video games geared toward the African-American community.{{cite web |url=http://www.blackenterprise.com/2011/10/13/director-matty-rich-becomes-video-game-developer/ |title=Matty Rich Goes From Movie Director to Video Game Developer |first=Anslem |last=Samuel |date=2011-10-13 |work=Black Enterprise |access-date=2011-10-06 |quote=In 2005, Rich reemerged as the Creative Director/Artistic Director for video game manufacturer Ubisoft’s 187 Ride or Die. Now, he serves as CEO of Matty Rich Games, a Los Angeles-based mobile gaming company. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015233625/http://www.blackenterprise.com/2011/10/13/director-matty-rich-becomes-video-game-developer/ |archive-date=2011-10-15 |url-status=dead }}
Personal
On January 19, 2008, Rich married publicist Leah "Reid" Johnson.{{cite web|url=http://gip3.smugmug.com/gallery/4203564_VmivR#245704387|work=gip3.smugmug.com|title=Matty Rich Gets Married}} They live in Los Angeles.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0723685}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rich, Matty}}
Category:Writers from Brooklyn
Category:Screenwriters from New York City
Category:African-American film directors
Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni
Category:Independent Spirit Award winners
Category:Sundance Film Festival award winners
Category:African-American male actors
Category:American male film actors
Category:African-American screenwriters
Category:Male actors from Brooklyn
Category:Film directors from New York City
{{US-film-director-1970s-stub}}