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Thaddeus D. Matula is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning director renowned for his work in both scripted and documentary film & television. His diverse portfolio includes projects for major networks and organizations such as ESPN, NFL, BBC, PBS, and The GRAMMYs.
Matula's journey in filmmaking began during his college years when his science fiction short film, "The Dreamer," gained international acclaim. Produced during his sophomore year, the film was broadcast nationally on PBS and received accolades at film festivals worldwide.
He is perhaps best known for directing the Peabody Award-winning 2010 ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "Pony Excess," which examines the notorious football scandal at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. The film premiered as ESPN's highest-rated documentary debut at the time and was later celebrated by Texas Monthly as one of the "Ten Best Documentaries about Texas."
In 2014, Matula collaborated again with ESPN to direct "Brian and the Boz," an Emmy-winning father-son story about Brian Bosworth, the controversial star linebacker from the University of Oklahoma and the Seattle Seahawks. The film played a significant role in reshaping Bosworth's public image and contributed to his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Matula's commitment to impactful storytelling extends beyond sports. (In 2019-2020) He partnered with the NFL to create two seasons of "Indivisible with Nate Boyer," a documentary series exploring civil liberties. His passion for conservation has led him to produce documentaries focusing on species and habitat preservation, primarily in the Caribbean and Central America. Notable among these is a BBC-released documentary that helped save the critically endangered Jamaican Iguana, celebrated with an installation at the British Museum of Natural History in October 2022.
In 2022, Matula executive produced "Castro's Daughter," the true-life story of Fidel Castro's exiled daughter, Alina Fernandez, written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz. In 2023 he toured the festival circuit with "Into the Spotlight," a documentary about an original musical performed by adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Currently, in 2024, Matula is directing two feature documentaries: "Revolution's Daughter," a follow-up to "Castro's Daughter" exploring Cuban-American identity, and "20K," a collaboration with former Major Leaguers about the four pitchers who achieved 20-strikeout games in Major League Baseball.
Looking ahead, Matula plans to return to scripted filmmaking in 2025 with "Zero Mile," an end-of-human-extinction-event warrior's journey, followed by "Fair Park," a modern noir thriller set in Dallas. In 2026, he is scheduled to direct a feature-length adaptation of his 1999 short film "The Dreamer."
Thaddeus Matula serves as President & Chief Cinemagician of Double Life Films, a company he founded with fellow dreamers in 1999. His work continues to push boundaries in both documentary and narrative filmmaking, always seeking to tell compelling stories that inspire change and provoke thought.
