Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Koss.
Hi Matthew, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Well, firstly, I’m Australian, but have recently become naturalized in the US. I moved to Los Angeles in 2014 to study a Masters in Film/TV Producing, and prior to moving, I studied a double degree in Criminology and Business Management in Melbourne. However, my ambitions were always with film and I needed to figure out a way to get there.
I spent most of my college years studying full-time and working two jobs so I could afford to backpack around the world. In 2010, I left for Southeast Asia on a two-and-a-half-month trip with friends, only to realize when we arrived in India that I had a serious case of wanderlust. I emailed my university to defer a semester and changed my flights, and ended up traveling an extra five months alone in India, Nepal, and China.
I arrived home with a depression that stemmed from coming to understand myself and how I viewed my sexuality. I felt stagnant in Melbourne, uninspired and the joy I felt was missing was actually how I was engaging with my identity. I had some serious exploring to do, and only one decision to make, so before my 21st birthday, I came out to my friends and family. Ten months later I deferred another semester, worked at a Summer Camp in Maine, and got my first taste of America.
It was on this trip that I understood the difference between exploring a career within my passions for film and television, and following a road where I couldn’t see a future. I still had two semesters remaining when I returned, and would not have forgiven myself if I left them unfinished, so I completed my degrees, worked for two years to save money, got accepted into a school in LA to do my Masters, and once again packed my bags for a more permanent trip. My family are literally spread across the globe: Brother in India, Sister in Israel, Mother in Melbourne. We’re globe trotters!
I submitted myself for the green card lottery and was very fortunate to win, and start my life here in the Entertainment industry. My journey began with working in representation before I got an opportunity to work at the Sundance Film Festival, running the theaters in Salt Lake City, which was my favorite job to date.
Upon returning to LA, I worked in development as a Creative Executive before I started representing writers. As I began to source scripts and writers, I became involved with Roadmap Writers, working as a script consultant running roundtables, private mentorship programs, monthly coaching programs, and participating in pitch-fests. I decided to branch off from the company I was with and continue developing material with writers, and am currently producing a short film.
I am also now a journalist for a website, Awardsfocus.com, where I interview actors, directors, writers, and below-the-line talent nominated for Emmys and Oscars. I started my own website, thewanderingscreen.
Covid was a challenging time, but I was able to translate the period into a momentum-building juncture. I have taken on more clients this year than ever before, and have reinterpreted my journey in Los Angeles to be wide-ranging and fulfilling.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve faced a lot of challenges during my career, but each bump in the road has opened a new door. Given that most of my friends, whom I met while studying for my master’s, were not able to stay in the country, I’ve managed to find a beautiful community in the entertainment field. It’s been a particularly important time to build my network and find the resolve to make it in the industry. Los Angeles is so enormous, but my weekly Shabbat dinners with friends have become a highlight when the road has produced potholes.
My first test came when I landed my first job after graduating from my Master’s. I reconciled with the strength I believed I had as a person, and what the role meant toward how I viewed my individuality. I persevered through a difficult year in the hopes it would lead to the next step in my career, but when I was sexually harassed by my superior, I decided that being the man who traveled the world alone, I could not let my values be pushed aside for the people I worked with.
It was also a period in which I was forced to negotiate a time to visit my family in Australia, and it was a sacrifice I hope not to repeat. What I took away from this experience was an understanding of my own power, and how I could push forward into the next chapter of my career.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m most proud of the multitude of directions I’ve gone with my career. My love of film and television has expanded into even more areas in the field that I’ve always admired but never thought to explore.
I worked at a cinema in Australia while I was studying, running events, private screenings, and film premieres. I ran the Gold Class section of the cinema, which is comparable to iPic where food and drinks are served during the movie. It was the hustle and bustle, working in high-stress situations and delivering the best experience possible that gave me a rush.
I deliberately applied for the Sundance Film Festival and was offered a position to assist in running the five theaters in Salt Lake City, which was totally up my alley. I spent six weeks helping to prepare the theaters, training over four hundred volunteers, and executing the festival flawlessly. There were so many challenges, but it was completely invigorating. I returned two years later after working in talent and literary representation at a fantastic company. I spent four months running the show, including opening night in Salt Lake City and various other functions. It was a massive reset button, and I’m so proud of what my team accomplished that winter.
I believe what sets me apart from others is the pivot. I’m quite malleable and can understand the processes of other areas of the industry. I take the challenges as they come and am committed to making anything work, knowing that these things in life are temporary. The journey is anything but linear, and I’m constantly searching for the role that allows me more access to my family. That, above all, drives me into all these different areas of the Entertainment industry.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
In the next 5-10 years, I’m hoping that Awards Focus continues to attract fantastic talent. Post-Covid, I’m certainly looking forward to doing more in-person interviews. I was able to meet with Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist star Jane Levy at Hugo’s in West Hollywood for a profile piece, and, honestly, there is nothing comparable to the face-to-face energy of an interview compared to a phone call.
This past month I also interviewed Chris Van Dusen, showrunner for Netflix’s Bridgerton, and two of the stars from HBO’s Lovecraft Country, Jurnee Smollett, and Jonathan Majors, to name a few. It’s been surreal, but considerably exciting. The conversations are illuminating, and often quite touching, so I’m looking forward to working alongside my brilliant editor Byron Burton and continue our expansion.
I intend on continuing to expand my own film review brand, The Wandering Screen, and have ambitions to travel the world, reviewing films, interviewing talent, and showcasing mainstream, independent and short films. Eventually, I would also love to run a yearly film festival.
Over the last few years, I saw myself being in development, finding projects, attaching talent, and bringing the project to screen. That dream has materialized into something more personal because some of the people I’ve worked with over the years have reduced the joy of telling stories to be something familiar rather than extraordinary. I want to see more stories about LGBTQ people, I want to swoon over lovers coming together, and I want to experience a filmmaker’s vision in the front third of a cinema and be totally captivated. I’m currently producing a short film, and hope to have many more in development and completed over the next few years.
The trends I have been witnessing are that Hollywood falls behind itself when it finds a genre, project, or filmmaker it likes. Production companies will endeavor to replicate the exact formula, not realizing that the game takes three years to accomplish, and by that stage, the moment has passed. Innovation is lagging. Streamers have offered filmmakers a chance to have their projects seen, but investments generally lie with writers, producers, and talent who have been seen before. There are so many talented artists across the globe, and I want to give more voices a chance to be seen, heard, and enjoyed.
What we see on the screen is a fraction of the work that goes into making entertainment. It is a vast, complicated, and often very rewarding experience. It’s been a long journey so far, but really, it’s just beginning.
Contact Info:
- Email: matt@
thewanderingscreen.com - Website: www.
thewanderingscreen.com - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/ thewanderingscreen/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/matthew.koss.9/ - Other: https://awardsfocus.
com/
Image Credits:
Shandton Williams II
