Matthew Victor Pastor

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Matthew Victor Pastor
Matthew Victor Pastor.jpg
Pastor at the 2018 Sinag Maynila Film Festival
Born (1989-03-02) 2 March 1989 (age 34)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Alma mater Victorian College of the Arts
Occupations
Years active2013–present

Matthew Victor Pastor (born 2 March 1989) is an Australian film director. His feature films explore Asian Australian identity, [1] and tell Filipino Australian stories. [2] An alumnus of the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne Faculty of VCA and MCM, [3] his feature film Melodrama/Random/Melbourne had its Australian premiere at the 2018 Adelaide Film Festival. [4] [5] Part one of his 2020 Trilogy of feature films about the COVID-19 pandemic The Neon Across the Ocean had its world premiere at the 44th São Paulo International Film Festival in the International Perspective section. [6] In 2021 A Pencil to the Jugular had its world premiere at the FIAPF accredited 43rd Moscow International Film Festival. [7]

Contents

Fil-Aus Trilogy

The Fil-Aus trilogy are three films exploring Filipino Australians identity. [8]

Part one, I am Jupiter I am the Biggest Planet, is a silent short film set in the red-light district of Manila. Part two, Melodrama/Random/Melbourne!, is a narrative feature film about a young feminist documentarian and her journey documenting the Men's rights movement and Seduction community PUA movement. [9] Part three, Maganda, or (Pinoy Boy vs Milk Man), is an '80s Filipino/Australian B movie throwback about a deranged killer dubbed the Milk Man & the assassin Pinoy Boy on a mission to stop him. [10]

In a review of Melodrama/Random/Melbourne Oggs Cruz of Rappler said:

"A stunning discovery, Matthew Victor Pastor's Melodrama/Random/Melbourne! is a pastiche of many attempts—both somewhat successful or outright failures—to be something. Vague in terms of form and substance, the film, without even perusing its scatterings of plot and characters, is a brash reflection of the waywardness and captivating caprice of the unique millennial culture brought about by cross-border migration. The setting here is Melbourne, a city that the film depicts as one that is undergoing transformation into a bustling center of distinct Asian influences. However, its young and rebellious citizens, heirs of those from a generation that needed to make the city its home, are themselves repelling the waves of new migration, sowing seeds of division." [11]

The film was also an honorable mention in Rappler's 12 best Filipino Films of 2018. [12]

On Melodrama/Random/Melborune!, Bill Mousoulis the founding editor of Senses of Cinema said: "This is breathtaking cinema that is just extraordinary. It's one of the best Australian films of this decade." He also described Pastor as "the most dynamic young filmmaker I've come across in 35 years of indie film watching in Australia." [13]

Jake Wilson of The Age said: "In the spirit of Godard and Wong Kar-Wai, local writer-director Matthew Victor Pastor throws every available idea into this wild goose chase through Melbourne after dark... An arresting introduction to a talent going places." [14]

The film premiered at the 2018 Sinag Maynila Film Festival [15] and was awarded Best Original Score (Fergus Cronkite). [16] The film was also nominated for the 67th edition of the FAMAS Award (Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Award) in the music category for his composer Fergus Cronkite (Andrew Tran).

In a negative review, Stephanie Mayo of Concept News Central said: "Twenty minutes into the movie, I walked out of the cinema. I could no longer endure the film. I thought it pretentious and messy, and the sex talk stilted." [17]

Part 3 Maganda! Pinoy Boy vs Milk Man had its premiere at Monster Fest. [18] [19] Glenn Cochrane of Fakeshemp.net said, "There isn't a filmmaker in Australia as distinctive or eccentric, and what MVP puts on the screen is the entire inner-workings of his mind. MAGANDA is a culmination of his past work and serves as a self-inflicted exorcism of his mind's congestion." [20]

2020 Trilogy

He is in post-production on a number of diverse Asian Australian films dealing with social issues unique to the Australian landscape. With these projects currently in post-production If Magazine coined him, "Australia's most prolific filmmaker". [21] [22] 2020 embarks production of his thematic 2020 trilogy capturing the Future, Present & Past of the global pandemic. He explains the process of making the 2020 Trilogy in Issue 97 of Senses of Cinema. "The two films I was working on in early 2020 would eventually become 1 and 2 of the trilogy: The Neon Across the ocean and A Pencil to the Jugular. The rapid changes in society caused me great anxiety and loneliness. The anxiety and isolation are predominant moods felt through the films. The pandemic is not over and globally this is something we can’t even comprehend. Even when these films are completed and released a feeling of melancholy in society will linger, an unresolved pain." [23] The Neon Across the Ocean world premiered at the 44th São Paulo International Film Festival with some of the worlds first corona virus themed films like Coronation (2020 film) by Ai Weiwei. [24] The second installment in the trilogy world premiered at the 43rd Moscow International Film Festival. The film explores some of the social and racial injustices which have arisen during the pandemic. Pastor has said in Philippine Daily Inquirer about the 2020 trilogy "I feel we should talk about these experiences because they encourage people to stand up as opposed to accepting this as normal." [25] The film is unique as it was co-written by international student Lorena Zarate and has a fresh perspective on life in Australia for people who are marginalised. [26]

Filmography

Feature films

YearTitleDirectorProducerWriterNotes
2018 Melodrama/Random/Melbourne YesYesYesCo-written with Celina Yuen
2019A Bigger JailYesYesYes
2020The Neon Across The OceanYesYesYesPart of the 2020 trilogy
2021 A Pencil to the Jugular YesYesYesPart of the 2020 trilogy.
2022In Heaven They Sing KaraokeYesYesYesIn post production.

Short films

YearTitleDirectorProducerWriterNotes
2016I am JUPITER I am the BIGGEST PLANETYesYesYes Victorian College of the Arts graduate film
2019Between Worlds: Filipino/AustralianYesYesYes
2020Fun TimesYesSupported by Film Victoria, AFTRS, Screen Australia diversity talent fund

Experimental Works

YearTitleDirectorProducerWriterNotes
2013Made In AustraliaYesYesYes
2017Butterfly Flower: Please Wait To Be SeatedYesFeaturing Poetry by Khavn De La Cruz
2018MAGANDA! Pinoy Boy vs Milk ManYesYesYesCo-written with Kiefer Findlow
2019Repent or PerishYesYesYesPresented at Australian new wave Bill Mousoulis & Oz Asia Festival

Awards

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2017 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Golden Reel Award - Best Short Film [27] I am JUPITER I am the BIGGEST PLANETNominated
2017Sinag Maynila Film FestivalBest Short FilmI am JUPITER I am the BIGGEST PLANETNominated
2018Sinag Maynila Film FestivalBest Musical Score (Fergus Cronkite) [28] MELODRAMA / RANDOM / MELBOURNE!Won
2018Sinag Maynila Film FestivalBest DirectorMELODRAMA / RANDOM / MELBOURNE!Nominated
201967th FAMAS Award Outstanding Achievement in Musical ScoreMELODRAMA / RANDOM / MELBOURNE!Nominated

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References

  1. ↑ Darmadi, Mala (7 July 2018). "Crazy Rich Asians — the film sparking hopes for a diversity breakthrough". ABC News.
  2. ↑ "Filmmaker Sheds Light on Modern Fil-Aussies' Internal Struggles | Kore Asian Media". Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "Emerging Filmmakers in the Spotlight | ACMI". 2015.acmi.net.au.
  4. ↑ Frajman, Anthony (26 September 2018). "Matthew Victor Pastor: Melodrama Random Adelaide".
  5. ↑ "FULL LIST: FAMAS nominees for its 67th edition". GMA News Online.
  6. ↑ "Australian Filmmaker Making Waves Across the Ocean with Independent Feature Film at São Paulo International Film Festival".
  7. ↑ "A PENCIL TO THE JUGULAR :: Film catalogue :: Moscow International Film Festival".
  8. ↑ "Filmmaker Sets Out to Tell the Fil-Aussie Story, One Pic at a Time | Kore Asian Media". Archived from the original on 20 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  9. ↑ "All the Full-Length Films Screening at the 2018 Sinag Maynila International Film Festival". SPOT.PH.
  10. ↑ "screen-space - Latest - FEATURES / WHY PINOY BOY FROM OZ MATTHEW VICTOR PASTOR IS LOCAL INDIE SECTOR'S M.V.P." screen-space.squarespace.com.
  11. ↑ Cruz, Oggs (17 March 2018). "Movie reviews: All 5 Sinag Maynila 2018 feature length films". Rappler.
  12. ↑ Cruz, Oggs (January 2019). "12 best Filipino films of 2018". Rappler.
  13. ↑ "Matthew Victor Pastor". www.innersense.com.au.
  14. ↑ Wilson, Jake (9 November 2018). "Top five films: best of the big screen". The Age.
  15. ↑ San Diego, Bayani Jr. (10 March 2018). "Sinag Maynila tackles diverse social issues". entertainment.inquirer.net.
  16. ↑ "Sinag Maynila 2018 Gabi ng Parangal: Complete Winners". Sinag Maynila Film Festival. 12 March 2018.
  17. ↑ "Q&A with film director Matthew Victor Pastor (I walked out of his movie!) | Concept News Central". Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  18. ↑ "MAGANDA! PINOY BOY VS MILKMAN Trailer Drops! | Cult of Monster". cultofmonster.com.au.
  19. ↑ "Matthew Victor Pastor".
  20. ↑ "MAGANDA: PINOY BOY VS MILK MAN!". © FAKESHEMP.NET.
  21. ↑ "Matthew Pastor: Australia's most prolific filmmaker". 14 October 2018.
  22. ↑ "AFTRS and Screen Australia announce recipients of Talent Camp production funding | Media centre". Screen Australia.
  23. ↑ "Matthew Victor Pastor – an Interview – Senses of Cinema".
  24. ↑ "Vida pós 2020 é retratada com poucas máscaras em filme exibido na Mostra". 2 November 2020.
  25. ↑ "PH movie on antiracism screened in Russian fest". 5 May 2021.
  26. ↑ "Film Review: Pencil in the Jugular (2021) by Matthew Victor Pastor". 27 April 2021.
  27. ↑ "Dandy film in Hollywood". 10 May 2017.
  28. ↑ "'Tale of the Lost Boys,' Allen Dizon lead all winners in Sinag Maynila festival awards". 12 March 2018.
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