Directing
Matty Rich
Matty Rich, a trailblazer in Black cinema, was born and raised in the Red Hook housing projects of Brooklyn, New York. He burst onto the Hollywood landscape in the early 1990s, garnering acclaim as a 19-year-old writer, director, and producer with his groundbreaking film, "Straight Out of Brooklyn." This award-winning feature, which was shot on a modest budget of just $77,000, won the Sundance Film Festival Award and was distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films. It went on to capture multiple accolades, including the Independent Spirit Award, NAACP Image Award, CEBA Award, Big Apple Award, and the Producer's Guild's "Most Promising Film Producer" award, becoming a beloved classic that continues to air on television.
Rich secured a three-picture deal with TriStar Studios, where he worked on projects like "Forty Thieves," the first Black organized crime family film, and "Sunset Park." He then transitioned to Disney, collaborating with studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg and directing the summer hit "The Inkwell," featuring stars such as Jada Pinkett-Smith and Morris Chestnut.
Beyond film, Matty Rich produced and directed various projects, including the drama series "Red Hook" for Warner Brothers TV, a Tupac Shakur biopic for HBO, and the documentary "Tommy Morris vs. Ray Mercer" for HBO. He also ventured into the gaming industry, serving as Creative Director for "187 Ride or Die" in Paris and later founding Matty Rich Games, a mobile game development company.
Rich remains committed to his filmmaking roots, currently developing film and television projects that integrate gaming under his brand. He has also been a sought-after speaker at major gaming conferences, showcasing his influence across multiple entertainment mediums.
Filmography