For producer Luca Matrundola, the five-minute standing ovation at the premiere of the film “Collaborator” was the most rewarding victory he could have received after working for two years to bring the movie to life.
This experience was the culmination of all that he had worked for since he began his film studies at UCLA.
Matrundola said studying at UCLA exposed him to an entirely new world of independent cinema and also introduced him to his fellow production student and future business partner Julien Favre.
Following graduation, Matrundola and Favre started up their production company, DViant Films, based out of Los Angeles and Matrundola’s hometown of Toronto. After receiving a script from writer and director Martin Donovan, Matrundola and Favre worked as producers on “Collaborator,” which premiered on July 20 at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles.
Matrundola said they were attracted to Donovan’s script because it provokes an emotional response from the audience and also contains an intellectual dimension. As the first feature-length film the team has taken from script to release, the movie tells the story of a playwright who finds himself in a predicament involving an ex-con played by David Morse.
Matrundola had not originally planned to work in the film industry. After earning his business degree in his hometown of Toronto, Canada, Matrundola chose to make a change in his professional life by studying at UCLA. He said he thought working in movies would give him the chance to engage with his love of dreams and making them come to life on the screen.
“I thought film was the best way to connect with this true love of mine, and I did everything I could to put myself in the right position to work in the film business,” Matrundola said.
Favre, who arrived from France at the start of Matrundola’s second semester, brought along a completely different set of experiences and an interest in the creative side of film production, which contributed to their eventual partnership. Their friendship developed as they progressed through the graduate production program and the two even decided to become roommates during their second year at UCLA.
“My first impression was that he was very quiet, but I could see that he was a smart individual and that he was as hungry as I was (to make movies),” Matrundola said.
Favre said that “Collaborator” was one of the fastest projects he and Matrundola had ever handled, and added that working on this movie gave them the opportunity to combine their talents and production skills after having worked on a documentary and other independent films.
“I wanted to produce and I needed help. I liked (Matrundola) as a person, and I thought he had very complementary skills,” Favre said. “He was more on the business side and I was much more on the creative side, so it seemed like a good partnership.”
Matrundola and Favre were both committed to making the best movie possible, and had to stay determined not to let financial constraints prohibit them from doing so, even on days when a lack of finances nearly forced them to stop production.
“Making a movie is always tough, and this was the first film that we took from script to release,” Matrundola said. “There were days when we were going to have to send the crew home if we didn’t come up with more money, so that was the biggest challenge in working on this film.”
The duo said that working on the production team for the film was a process that took many years but was ultimately an opportunity for them to gain experience as producers and work with Martin Donovan, who also played the lead role in “Collaborator.” Donovan said he appreciated the creative vision and effort put forth by both Matrundola and Favre, especially given the financial difficulties they encountered.
“A lot of producers don’t see it that way,” Donovan said. “They were very conscious and careful and when money was falling through they went out and found other sources of money. This film would not have happened without them.”
Matrundola said he wants to continue to focus on quality and working with people who write and direct, but would also like to work with bigger budget movies in addition to independent films.
“You have to be willing to take a chance,” Matrundola said. “Sometimes you just have to go for it.”