Interview with Filmmaker Matthew Villegas

By: Myriam Akbar

Meet 29 years old Matthew Villegas, a filmmaker and content creator based in Orlando, Florida. He studied film at the University of Central Florida and eventually moved to New York to pursue his career. Originally he wanted to work in post production as a colorist, but his path led him to working in a G&E rental house. During the SAG and WGA strikes, he moved back to Orlando because, “Work dried up and I just wanted to get to a better place mentally,” he says. 

Villegas has a long-standing love for cinema and describes himself in high school as a theater kid. “Aside from going to the movies often on weekends, I spent my formative years acting, singing, and drawing. Over time, I found myself gravitating more towards filmmaking,” he says. However, he feels his journey to this realization wasn’t typical. His path didn’t begin with getting his first camera. “My passion for film grew out of my broader love of the arts. I believe that bringing those outside influences into filmmaking shaped my perspective. This is the acknowledgment of how much cinema is enriched and inspired by other forms of art,” he shares. Throughout his time working on other people’s projects, Villegas decided to self-produce his own animated short film, My Week With Charlie. The plot involves a time he took care of his roommate’s dog named Charlie and the adventures they had, as well as the lessons he learned throughout his time living in NYC. There is a teaser available to watch on YouTube and it’s currently making its runs through film festivals. He is currently working on writing a feature script that he might later adapt into a short film. It’s titled The Love Courier and revolves around a food courier that gets uninvited from his daughter’s birthday party, spending the day delivering and trying to understand the true meaning of love. 

I discovered Villegas on TikTok, where he recently began making content because he wanted an outlet to share his feelings, ideals, and opinions in regard to film and art. He also wanted a way to connect with like-minded people in a creative way. “My initial goal was to talk about the experience of being a beginner in filmmaking and communicate with people who are shifting from working in other departments or need an extra push to make their own indie projects, no matter how big or how small they may seem,” he explains. In his videos  he covers topics like pitching concepts, budgeting, perceptions of success, and equipment. 

Shown to him by a teacher, the documentary Sherman’s March is a film that greatly influenced Villegas. He says it had a profound impact on his perception of storytelling and demonstrated the kind of films he wants to create. “I wouldn’t say I have a single favorite genre, because there are so many that I love. I’ve always been drawn to meta cinema — films that break the fourth wall and reveal something unexpected on the other side. That’s probably why I connect so much with Charlie Kaufman’s work,” he shares. Right now, Villegas feels compelled to make projects that challenge how people think about independent filmmaking. “In many ways, I feel we’ve lost the hunger for telling deeply personal stories,” he says. He feels that phenomenal acting performances and authentic narratives often get overshadowed by technical polish — the latest cameras, lighting setups, or LUTs designed to create a specific aesthetic. While Villegas finds that those elements of filmmaking have their place, he believes that the real power comes from experimentation and discovering your own voice. He argues that most technical skills can be learned from a YouTube video, but that no one else can replicate your perspective or the stories only you can tell.