Freddy Macdonald | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 12, 2000 (age 24) |
| Nationality | American, Swiss |
| Alma mater | American Film Institute |
| Occupation(s) | film director, screenwriter, editor |
| Years active | 2016–present |
Freddy Macdonald (born October 12, 2000) is a US-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and editor. [1] He is the youngest directing fellow ever accepted to the American Film Institute. His critically acclaimed feature film debut Sew Torn premiered at South by Southwest Film Festival, and headlined Locarno Film Festival on the Piazza Grande in 2024. [2] [3]
Freddy Macdonald was born in Santa Monica, California. [4] Macdonald's six-minute short film Sew Torn, which he made as part of his application for film school in 2019, was acquired by Searchlight Pictures and qualified for an Academy Award after a theatrical release nationwide alongside Ready or Not . [5] [6] [7] Executive produced by Academy Award winner Peter Spears, it was watched by Joel Coen who met with Macdonald and advised turning the short into an independent feature. [8] That same year, Macdonald signed with United Talent Agency, and was accepted to the American Film Institute, becoming the youngest directing fellow ever accepted to the Conservatory. [9] [4] [10] His AFI graduating thesis film Shedding Angels won a Student Academy Award and was shortlisted for a student BAFTA. [11] [12]
The world premiere of his first feature-length film Sew Torn , which he also edited and co-wrote with his father Fred Macdonald, took place at South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2024. [2] [6] The feature is an expansion of the short film of the same name, and was directed by Macdonald when he was 21 years old. [8] [13] It went on to headline Locarno Film Festival on the Piazza Grande, and was an official selection at numerous festivals including Sitges and Camerimage. [14] The feature film was acquired for North American distribution by Vertigo Releasing and Sunrise Films, and had a theatrical release in May 2025. [15] It received widespread critical acclaim and was positively reviewed and featured in Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Mashable, Roger Ebert, and Collider, among others. [16] [8] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] The Hollywood Reporter described Macdonald as a "wunderkind" and "the filmmaker who dazzled SXSW", Collider called him "one of the most exciting new directors out there", and Variety stated he "may well be the next big thing." [8] [22] [18] Sew Torn earned 95% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and was awarded Certified Fresh status as of July 2025. [23]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Gifted: Thanksgiving Post Mortem (short film) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2017 | The Father of Art (short film) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2018 | The Coachmen (short film) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2019 | I'm Good (short film) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2019 | Sew Torn (short film) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2022 | Shedding Angels (short film) | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2024 | Sew Torn (feature film) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Student Academy Awards | Narrative Short | Shedding Angels | Won | [24] |
| 2024 | South By Southwest Film Festival | Visions | Sew Torn | Nominated | [2] |
| 2024 | Locarno Film Festival | Piazza Grande | Sew Torn | Nominated | [25] |
| 2024 | Sitges Film Festival | Noves Visions | Sew Torn | Nominated | [26] |