Getting to Know Michael Matteo Rossi

Somethingyousaid.com catches up with the director of ‘Misogynist’, Michael Matteo Rossi (pictured above, centre, with producer Kris Black – right – and Jon Briddell – left – who won Best Actor for the film):

I am an artist in every sense of the world. Every single day I am writing (usually scripts) and thinking about my next film, vision and how to make it happen. I direct and produce as well. I’m a storyteller and have an insane passion to put my stories on the big screen. It’s something I’ve known I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’m also an extroverted character from time to time as well.

Misogynist is a character study of just that, a misogynist. There are more dynamics at play, but stripped down, it is a look into the life of a very twisted person and his magnetic personality that seems to bring everybody in his path down and subservient to him. Extremely well acted; I just found out it won best feature and best actor for the title character, Jon Briddell, at the Los Angeles Underground Film festival.

I recently completed a sci-fi/horror script that I feel is extremely strong and doable to work on a great Indie low-budget scale. The story is there. The characters are there. My vision is there, so I see filming it sometime next year.

Directing movies is a drug. Seriously. You do one and immediately you want to get your next “fix” and direct another film. Being on set as a director is surreal in the best of ways.

I take inspiration from Stanley Kubrick, Nolan, Aronofsky and all of the true independent artists that hustled and were ambitious to get to where they are today.

I spend too much time watching movies, of course.

Home is Los Angeles. People can have their problems with it, but it’s what I know and have grown to love.

It might surprise people to learn that in my early teens I actually did a lot of acting and seriously thought about going down that road instead of behind the camera.

Find out more about Michael at IMDB.

Interview by Bobby Townsend