Curtis Matzke
Directing
Biography
Curtis Matzke is an independent filmmaker from central Michigan and founder of the media production company Unfurnished Films. Focusing primarily on writing and directing, he aims to contribute creatively and technically to the film arts through all phases of the production process. Curtis works as a freelance editor and videographer in Chicago, Illinois. In 2012, Curtis wrote and directed his first feature-length fiction film, Complex, which was shot with a micro-budget and recognized by several awards, including Best Narrative Feature at the Made-in-Michigan Film Festival. Curtis's work has screened at various venues nationally and internationally and he was named as Outstanding Lansing Filmmaker in 2011. In addition to his own productions, Curtis has worked independently and as part of a team on a variety of other fiction, nonfiction, and commercial film and video projects. Curtis has worked with various Chicago institutions, including Second City, Columbia College, and the Midwest Independent Film Festival. He is a member of IFP Chicago and the Sundance Institute. Curtis has a B.A. and an M.A. in Media Arts and Technology from Michigan State University with a concentration in Television, Cinema, and Radio, a minor in Film Studies, and a Specialization in Design.
Known For
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a movie based on the life story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson from 1961 to 1987.
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
Max Kenner, a Californian high school wrestling champ, transfers to Michigan State University on a sports scholarship. As he dreams of becoming a CIA agent, conspiracy unfolds, forcing him to discover the truth about his team while balancing a love triangle, two broken legs, and his school social life.
Enduring Destiny
Nominated for two Chicago/Midwest Emmy awards including Outstanding Historical Documentary and Outstanding Off-Camera Directing, "90 Years of the Music Box Theatre" depicts filmmakers Werner Herzog, Lana Wachowski, Michael Shannon, Joe Swanberg, and more as they celebrate a 90-year-old cinema institution in Chicago, IL.
90 Years of the Music Box Theatre
Intrepid student filmmaker Thomas Reilly-King (affectionately known as TRK) will do anything to complete his first feature film, aptly titled ENDURING DESTINY. Searching for fame in a production spanning several years, the unflappable writer/director/actor calls in every favor and spends every last dime to realize his vision and bring his hero's story to the big screen.
First Feature
A dinner party descends into sex, violence, and the absurd when one of the guests discovers something unexpected about what’s for dinner.
An Exquisite Meal
As he spends more time with his new girlfriend, a young man begins to privately dwell upon one of her quirks, leading him to a troubling discovery.
Pretty Pickle
Charles Henderson is an average everyday guy living in the suburbs. After receiving an urgent piece of mail, he realizes his life may not be quite what it seems, and embarks on a desperate search to uncover his true reality.
Limited Time Offer Act Now
A centuries-old vampire craves the company of loved ones and contemplates immortality.
Splinter
A film about a young man unwittingly thrust into the raucous world of college mating rituals, finding striking similarities to those of lower lifeforms.
Sexual Animals
While practicing her clarinet alone in a theater, a young woman is disturbed by an increasingly menacing presence.
The Orchestra
An experimental horror film told entirely from above the bathroom sink.
Sink
A day-in-the-life of a man tasked with salvaging possessions off dead bodies on a foreign planet. Shot and produced in the Canary Islands under the advice and mentorship of director Werner Herzog.
Recuperación de los Caídos
IL MUSEO DI ME STRESSO ("The Museum of Myself") is an Italian-language film about Francesco Maria Rossi. Some people would call him a collector, others a hoarder. Hear how he describes himself, discusses the importance of memory, and the power of sustainability.