Born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Matthew Kaundart is an LA-based writer/director and graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Focused on creating character-driven, nuance-rich stories for both film and television, Matthew's been recognized as an IFP Episodic Lab Fellow, a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and placed in the top 10% of the Academy Nicholl Fellowships. Through IFP, Matthew recently workshopped his limited series adaptation of the true-crime novel RUST & STARDUST detailing the real-life kidnapping and inspiration behind LOLITA. Currently, Matthew's setting up his debut feature inspired by his own experiences involving addiction within his family called MY TWIN IS DEAD starring Sidney Flanigan (NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS), Will Brittain (BLOW THE MAN DOWN), and Analeigh Tipton (CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE.).
Additionally, Matthew has been recognized as a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, placed in the top 10% of the Academy Nicholl Fellowships, as well as screened work worldwide, including at Outfest, the American Documentary Film Festival, the Museum of Photographic Arts, REDCAT, and the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, as well as featured in publications such as VICE, PAPER, i-D, Somesuch, LA Weekly, Narratively, Fast Company, AdWeek, and more. On the advertising side of things, Matthew’s worked as a treatment writer at Tool of North America and as a copywriter at 72andSunny. He's also edited videos for KCET and spent a summer writing for The Japan Times.
Born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Matthew Kaundart is an LA-based writer/director and graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Focused on creating character-driven, nuance-rich stories for both film and television, Matthew's been recognized as an IFP Episodic Lab Fellow, a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and placed in the top 10% of the Academy Nicholl Fellowships. Currently, he's developing a feature screenplay inspired by his own experiences of addiction within his family, as well as adapting a novel into a limited series detailing the real-life kidnapping that inspired Lolita.
Much of his directing work features an experimental spirit and has screened worldwide, including at Outfest, the American Documentary Film Festival, the Museum of Photographic Arts, REDCAT, and the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, as well as featured in publications such as VICE, PAPER, i-D, Somesuch, LA Weekly, Narratively, Fast Company, AdWeek, and more. On the advertising side of things, Matthew’s worked as a treatment writer at Tool of North America and as a copywriter at 72andSunny. He's also edited videos for KCET and spent a summer writing for The Japan Times.