Filmmaker/playwright/humorist Matt Morillo has made quite a splash in the world of independent theater and film. His very first play, Angry Young Women In Low-Rise Jeans With High-Class Issues, was a runaway hit on two continents, as it packed houses and received rave reviews through five separate runs in New York City, two separate runs in Sydney, Australia, a run in Los Angeles, California and a run in Brisbane, Australia.  In addition, it received a publishing deal from Samuel French, Inc.

His next play, the slightly more serious All Aboard the Marriage Hearse, (a bit of a departure from the raucousness of Angry Young Women), was also a huge hit. Originally scheduled for just a four-week run, positive reviews and steadily rising attendance (due largely to word of mouth) resulted in a two-week extension. All Aboard the Marriage Hearse also secured a publishing deal from Samuel French Inc.

Then the following year, Matt completed the trifecta, and showed great versatility with American Soldiers, a drama about a Long Island family coming to pieces after their eldest daughter returns from a difficult tour of duty in Iraq.  Premiering at Theater for the New City for a successful three-week run, American Soldiers also secured a publishing deal with Samuel French Inc., putting Matt in extremely rare company as very few playwrights have had their first three plays published.

January of 2011 will see the premiere of Matt’s latest play, The Inventor, The Escort, The Photographer, Her Boyfriend and His Girlfriend, at Theater for the New City, representing a return to comedy and extremely long titles!

Besides his theater work, Matt has been a fixture on the New York independent film scene for the past ten years. He made an auspicious debut at the young age of twenty-three with his romantic comedy The Pretenders. With a cast of unknowns and a non-existent budget, Matt crafted an enjoyable, funny and ultimately touching film about a group of twenty-somethings struggling with life’s ups and downs.

His follow up project, Good Tidings, a fifteen minute short film about a young girl suffering through her parents’ divorce, received great praise at film festivals for its realism and honesty. Once again, with extremely limited resources, Matt directed a memorable film which people related to on many levels.

His third film, Maid Of Honor, was a true breakthrough. This film, a twenty-five minute comedy about a simple guy trying to hook up with the maid of honor at a wedding, was a big hit on the festival circuit. It won three awards, played to sold-out theaters, and left audiences laughing and begging for copies of the film.

In 2010, Matt made a triumphant return to the world of film, writing and directing two short films, Rocky Vs. Adrian, a comedy about a passionate young man with a passion for all things Rocky Balboa, and 99¢, a comedy about two ambitious young ladies just trying to make it through the recession.   January of 2011 will see the premiere of Angry Young Women in the 99¢ Store with the Long Island Doucebags, a short film spin off of Angry Young Women in Low…well you get the point. 

Matt has also written stand-up comedy for some of Los Angeles and New York’s up and coming comedians and he has recently brought his sagacious wit to the web by launching his own website, www.thecynicaloptimist.net, a website of editorials and musings about anything and everything. Matt’s body of work has shown he has a keen eye for comedy and a steady hand for drama, making him one of the top emerging talents on the independent film/theater scene.  If you’re bored, find him on facebook at facebook.com/mattmorillo.