Matthew Bate is a multi-award winning writer, director and producer. His 2011 feature Shut Up Little Man! premiered in competition at the Sundance Film festival before screening theatrically across the U.S and being bought by Netflix. His follow up feature Sam Klemke’s Time Machine premiered at the 2015 Sundance New Frontiers Program, winning Doc Aviv's Artistic Spirit Award and an AWGIE for best screenplay. In 2013 Mathew wrote and directed the Dendy Award winning film I Want to Dance Better At Parties. Matthew’s Virtual Reality work Summation of Force, made with Magnum Photographer Trent Parke, was selected for Sundance’s New Frontier Program and won the inaugural VR Award at the ‘Imagine Film Festival’ Amsterdam. In 2020 Matthew co-created, wrote and produced the 6 x ABC Comedy TV Series Aftertaste starring Rachel Griffiths and Erik Thomson. Most recently his film The Defenders - made with Craig Foster OM and following the campaign to free Bahrain Footballer Hakeem Al Araibi from a Thai prison, will premiere on Amazon Prime mid 2023. Matthew is the co-founder of the South Australian film collective Closer Productions.