Matthew Ogens
HONORABLE MENTION SUMMER 2018: Filmmaker Matthew Ogens (r), DP John Tipton, and crew filming a scene in Juarez, Mexico for a new feature doc Home + Away, about kids living on both sides of the US/Mexico border. In this BTS scene, shot with Apple iPhone, a father in Juarez, a city plagued by cartel violence, finds solace in watching his daughters play basketball in El Paso, Texas where they attend high school. He cannot cross the border into the United States and thus has never seen them play except via FaceTime. It's bittersweet for him as he is proud of them, but heartbroken he can't be there in person. Often families separated by the border rely on technology like texting, social media, and FaceTime to communicate.
About Matthew Ogens
Matt Ogens is an award-winning filmmaker, known for an evocative visual aesthetic where image and narrative are intertwined. He works across a variety of media including advertising, documentary, virtual and augmented reality. Ogens got his start directing long form docu-series for networks including MTV, VH1, CBS, and CNN, and earned three Emmy® nominations for his work for ESPN. His feature documentary “Confessions of a Superhero” premiered at SXSW to critical acclaim. Ogens segued into commercials and branded content, working with top agencies and brands. He continues to work across both commercials and long form entertainment. In the world of advertising, Matt has helmed major commercial campaigns for Ford, Hyundai, ESPN, Ancestry.com, McDonald’s, Visa, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Coors Light, and Nascar amongst others, where he has earned several awards such as a SXSW Interactive award, Clio, One Show pencils, and more. Other notable projects include the short documentary “Kid Yamaka,” which launched on Vice; “North VR,” a virtual reality film shot in Detroit; a Primetime Emmy® Award for “From Harlem with Love” about the Harlem Globetrotters for ESPN’s “30 for 30” series; and several short films for Stand Up 2 Cancer. Current projects include “Why We Fight,” an Emmy® nominated new documentary series, which Ogens created and executive produces and a recent Emmy® nomination for “LA Louvre,” an augmented reality film for RYOT and Huffington Post. His new feature doc “Home + Away”, which follows high school athletes living on the US/Mexico border, premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. Learn more at www.mattogens.com