Matt Johnson (director)

Matt Johnson
Johnson in 2025
Born (1985-10-05) October 5, 1985
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
EducationYork University (MFA)
OccupationsWriter, producer, director, actor
Years active2007–present
Known for

Jon Matthew Johnson[1] (born October 5, 1985) is a Canadian film director, writer, producer, and actor. He first attracted accolades for his low-budget independent feature films, including The Dirties (2013), which won Best Narrative Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival, and Operation Avalanche (2016), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.[2][3]

Johnson achieved acclaim and commercial success with his third feature film, BlackBerry (2023), which documented the rise and fall of the BlackBerry phone. The film premiered in competition at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival,[4] and went on to win several accolades including the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association and a record-setting 14 Canadian Screen Awards from 17 nominations including Best Motion Picture.[5][6]

Johnson is also known for co-creating, directing, co-writing, and co-starring in the 2007–2009 mockumentary sitcom web series Nirvana the Band the Show, its 2017–2018 spiritual sequel television series Nirvanna the Band the Show, and the 2025 feature film based on both, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.

Career

2007–2022: Early films and Nirvana the Band the Show

Johnson's major directorial debut was the independent mockumentary-sitcom web series Nirvana the Band the Show, which ran from 2007–2009.[7] Johnson co-created and co-starred in the series with best friend and fellow actor/musician Jay McCarrol. In 2016, the Nirvana the Band the Show web series was adapted into a television series titled Nirvanna the Band the Show which premiered on Viceland in 2017. Several episodes of the first season were shown at the Toronto International Film Festival.[8][9] The show is not a direct continuation of the web series, serving as more of a spiritual sequel, but features occasional subtle callbacks.[10]

Johnson achieved widespread critical acclaim in Canada with his first feature film The Dirties,[11] which won Best Narrative Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival.[12] He was a Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Editing at the 2nd Canadian Screen Awards in 2014 for The Dirties.[13] The film had a production budget of $10,000. After finishing production, an additional $45,000 was needed to secure licensing rights for the music used in the film. All the film's financing came "out of pocket."[14] There was almost no scripted dialogue and several scenes were shot without some of the participants' awareness.[14][15][16]

Johnson and Matthew Miller founded their own production house, Zapruder Films, in 2013. Three years later, in 2016, the company released its first project, Operation Avalanche. The company is still active today.[17][18][19]

Operation Avalanche premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Johnson had received an offer to premiere the film at the Toronto International Film Festival but declined, reasoning that the film would be lost in the large number of films shown there.[20] Lionsgate released it in the US on September 16, 2016.[21] He was nominated for Best Director at the 5th Canadian Screen Awards in 2017 for his work on Operation Avalanche.[22] The film received mostly positive reviews from critics.[23][24] Peter Debruge of Variety wrote, "Matt Johnson and Owen Williams' wild, borderline-illegal stunt delivers big time on its crazy premise."[25] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter called it a "likeable if not always convincing fantasy that gets much mileage from its period feel".[26] Anthony Kaufman of Screen Daily wrote that the film "comes across more as a rambling lark than a tightly conceived film".[27]

In addition to his own productions, he has had acting roles in feature films such as Diamond Tongues, and the Kazik Radwanski films How Heavy This Hammer (2015), Anne at 13,000 Ft. (2019), and Matt and Mara (2024).

Johnson and Jay McCarrol co-created and co-starred in an animated spiritual successor to Nirvanna the Band the Show made for children called Matt & Bird Break Loose in 2021.[28]

2023–present: Career expansion

In 2022, Johnson directed and co-wrote, with Miller, the film BlackBerry, about the rise and fall of Canadian tech company Research in Motion.[29] The film stars Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie, Jay Baruchel as Mike Lazaridis, and Johnson as Douglas Fregin.[30] BlackBerry premiered in competition at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 17, 2023,[4] and attracted widespread critical acclaim.[31] The film won several accolades, including the $50,000 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association.[5] The film broke the record for the most nominations for a film at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards, with 17 nominations at the 2024 ceremony.[32] The film later won 14 awards, including Best Motion Picture.[33][34][35]

In 2024, he served as jury president of the Compétition Cheval Noir at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival.[36]

Following the success of BlackBerry, Johnson received funding from Telefilm to make a feature film adaptation of Nirvana the Band the Show and Nirvanna the Band the Show.[37][38] Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie premiered on March 9, 2025 at South by Southwest.[39][40] The film won critical acclaim and was shortlisted for the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award at the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2025.[41]

Johnson's next film is Tony, a biopic about Anthony Bourdain starring Dominic Sessa.[42][43]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2013 The Dirties Yes Yes Yes Also editor
2016 Operation Avalanche Yes Yes Yes
2023 BlackBerry Yes Yes No
2025 Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie Yes Yes No
TBA Tony Yes No Yes Post-production[44]
TBA Untitled Magic: The Gathering Film Yes No Yes In production[45]

Acting roles

Year Title Role Notes
2013 The Dirties Matt Fictionalised version of himself
2015 Diamond Tongues John Matheson
2015 How Heavy This Hammer Hardware Store Employee
2016 Operation Avalanche Himself Fictionalised version of himself
2018 Spice It Up Passport Photographer
2019 Anne at 13,000 Ft. Matt
2023 BlackBerry Doug Fregin
2024 Matt and Mara Matt
The Heirloom Belligerent Veterinarian
2025 Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie Matt Fictionalised version of himself

Television

Years Title Creator Director Writer Producer Note
2017–2018 Nirvanna the Band the Show Yes Yes Yes Yes Directed and co-wrote all 16 episodes
2021 Matt & Bird Break Loose Yes Yes Yes Yes Co-directed and co-wrote all 3 episodes

Acting role

Years Title Role Note
2017–2018 Nirvanna the Band the Show Matt Fictionalised version of himself
2021 Matt & Bird Break Loose Matt Voice; fictionalised version of himself

Web

Years Title Creator Director Writer Producer Note
2007–2009 Nirvana the Band the Show Yes Yes Yes Yes Directed and co-wrote all 11 episodes with Jay McCarrol

Acting role

Years Title Role Note
2007–2009 Nirvana the Band the Show Matt Fictionalised version of himself

References

  1. ^ https://yorkspace.library.yorku.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/59f149a4-6b0c-4392-a989-0581612f78d1/content
  2. ^ "Why Matt Johnson is taking Operation Avalanche to Sundance instead of TIFF". Now. January 21, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  3. ^ "How Operation Avalanche director Matt Johnson boldly infiltrated NASA". The Globe and Mail. December 31, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "BlackBerry". Berlin International Film Festival. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "BlackBerry, Swan Song Win Rogers Best Canadian Film and Best Canadian Documentary". Toronto Film Critics Association. March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Knight, Chris (March 6, 2024). "BlackBerry the most nominated film in Canadian Screen Awards history". The National Post. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  7. ^ "Toronto through the eyes of Nirvanna The Band The Show's Jay McCarrol and Matt Johnson". blogTO. April 6, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  8. ^ "Nirvanna the Band the Show is back – but this time it's bigger and on proper TV". Now. June 6, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  9. ^ "TIFF 2016 announces its Canadian lineup, including films from Xavier Dolan, Deepa Mehta, Bruce McDonald". National Post. August 3, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  10. ^ "Nirvanna the Band the Show is back – but this time it's bigger and on proper TV". Now Magazine. June 6, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  11. ^ "The Dirties: A bravura debut for an up-and-coming Canadian filmmaker". The Globe and Mail. October 4, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  12. ^ Godfrey, Alex (June 2, 2014). "The Dirties director Matt Johnson on fame and high-school shootings". The Guardian. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  13. ^ Hanna, Beth (January 13, 2014). "Canadian Screen Award Nominations Include Villeneuve's 'Enemy,' Dolan's 'Tom at the Farm' and More | IndieWire". www.indiewire.com. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  14. ^ a b "Interview with Matt Johnson, Director of 'The Dirties'". Indiewire. September 5, 2013.
  15. ^ "BLOOD IN THE HALLWAY: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRTIES DIRECTOR MATT JOHNSON AND PRODUCER EVAN MORGAN". Toronto Film Scene. October 3, 2012. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  16. ^ "MATTHEW JOHNSON Director of THE DIRTIES: Exclusive Sarasota Film Festival Interview". March 30, 2013. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  17. ^ "Why Matt Johnson is taking Operation Avalanche to Sundance instead of TIFF". Now. January 21, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  18. ^ "How Operation Avalanche director Matt Johnson boldly infiltrated NASA". The Globe and Mail. December 31, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  19. ^ "How Operation Avalanche director Matt Johnson boldly infiltrated NASA". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  20. ^ "How Operation Avalanche director Matt Johnson boldly infiltrated NASA". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  21. ^ Murthi, Vikram (July 21, 2016). "'Operation Avalanche' Trailer: Alt-History Doc Goes Behind-The-Scenes of Faking the Moon Landing". IndieWire. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  22. ^ "Matt Johnson | Achievement in Direction | Canadian Screen Awards". Academy.ca. January 13, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  23. ^ "Operation Avalanche (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  24. ^ "Operation Avalanche". Metacritic. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  25. ^ Debruge, Peter (January 29, 2016). "Sundance Film Review: 'Operation Avalanche'". Variety. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  26. ^ DeFore, John (January 22, 2016). "'Operation Avalanche': Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  27. ^ Kaufman, Anthony (January 23, 2016). "'Operation Avalanche': Sundance Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  28. ^ Hertz, Barry (October 14, 2021). "Canadian TV's most dangerous minds try something new: a cartoon on Amazon Kids+". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  29. ^ Manori Ravindran, "BlackBerry’: Story of Doomed Smartphone Company Casts Jay Baruchel & Glenn Howerton, XYZ Films Boards Sales for TIFF". Variety, August 23, 2022.
  30. ^ Barry Hertz, "BlackBerry: Canadian film starring Jay Baruchel to chronicle rise and fall of Research In Motion". The Globe and Mail, August 23, 2022.
  31. ^ "BlackBerry". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  32. ^ "Matt Johnson's BlackBerry breaks Canadian Screen Awards record with 17 nominations". The Globe and Mail. March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  33. ^ Knight, Chris (March 6, 2024). "BlackBerry the most nominated film in Canadian Screen Awards history". The National Post. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  34. ^ Connie Thiessen, "Canadian Screen Awards winners: Cinematic Arts". Broadcast Dialogue, May 30, 2024.
  35. ^ Etan Vlessing, "‘BlackBerry,’ ‘Little Bird’ Dominate Canadian Screen Awards". The Hollywood Reporter, May 31, 2024.
  36. ^ "Competitions". Fantasia Festival. Archived from the original on August 21, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  37. ^ Gheciu, Alex Nino (March 14, 2024). ""Matt Johnson says he made 'BlackBerry' to get funding for a Nirvanna the Band movie"". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  38. ^ Truskett, Angus (October 16, 2025). "From cult web series to cinema: Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie". ABC News. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  39. ^ Vary, Selome Hailu, Adam B. (January 22, 2025). "SXSW 2025 Lineup: Seth Rogen's 'The Studio,' Jenna Ortega Comedy 'Death of a Unicorn,' Nicole Kidman Thriller 'Holland' Among World Premieres". Variety. Retrieved January 23, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  40. ^ "Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie". SXSW 2025 Schedule. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  41. ^ "'One Battle After Another' dominates Toronto Film Critics Association Awards with 4 wins". CFJC Today Kamloops. December 8, 2025. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  42. ^ Kroll, Justin (August 12, 2024). "A24 Circling Anthony Bourdain Biopic 'Tony' From Star Thrower Entertainment With 'The Holdovers' Breakout Dominic Sessa In Talks To Star: The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  43. ^ Grobar, Matt (August 12, 2025). "Stavros Halkias Rounds Out Cast Of A24's Anthony Bourdain Biopic 'Tony'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  44. ^ Grobar, Matt (August 12, 2025). "Stavros Halkias Rounds Out Cast Of A24's Anthony Bourdain Biopic 'Tony'". Deadline. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  45. ^ Cavanaugh, Patrick (February 3, 2026). "'Magic: The Gathering' Director Confirmed; Movie Is "Full Speed Ahead" [Exclusive]". MovieWeb. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
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