ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | BROADCAST EXECUTIVE | PRODUCER | HOST
Matt Zimbel
An effective bi-lingual (French / English), executive / creative artistic director and producer, who builds team consensus and fosters a spirit of high production values and motivated productivity. An engaging communicator, published writer and experienced media host, who communicates effectively with audiences, colleagues and stakeholders. An award-winning musician / producer, broadcast executive and creative thinker with a strong marketing, branding and sales sensibility who has managed multi-milliondollar international projects on multiple platforms (live, web, tv and radio) resulting in the production of innovative events, revenue growth and on time, on budget delivery. With more than 40 years of experience as an entrepreneurial creator and administrator, Zimbel has also raised millions of dollars for arts and media projects from private equity and government sources.
His most recent feature documentary “Zimbelism” (Dist. NFB) on the subject of his late father photographer George S. Zimbel has been screened at festivals around the world and most recently had its UK premiere at the Raindance Film Festival in London in October 2018. The documentary was in the top 10 audience choice of Hot Docs Festival in 2016. Additionally, Zimbel has created and produced documentaries and lifestyle series for series for CBC, WTN, W, MuchMusic and Bravo, Radio Canada, Canal D, including his award winning docu-comedy “Un American au Quebec” which recounts his voyage to becoming bilingual.
Clients collaboration & partnership
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2018
JFL, MONTREAL, QC
Producer
NETFLIX
Read more about this experience
32X30 min Produced the global comedy special “Comedians of the World” for the territories: Canada, USA, Quebec, France, U.K. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Jordon, Egypt & Palestine. Lead producer with talent, content, script, design and network. Oversaw all post production for Canada, Quebec and France episodes..
2016 - 2017
TORONTO, ON
Artistic Director
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
Read more about this experience
Wrote, directed & co-produced the 9th Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala which inducted Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn, Beau Dommage & Stephane Venne in front of a sold out crowd at Toronto’s landmark theatre Massey Hall and on CBC TV, Radio and Web.
2018
TORONTO
Senior Producer
CBC HOST BROADCASTER
Read more about this experience
International Broadcast of the opening & closing ceremonies for the World Feed, including production of the opening film featuring the first sanctioned base jump off the CN Tower. The programs were some of the largest television productions ever undertaken in Canada and featured Cirque de Soleil, Kanye West, Serena Rider & Pitbull. Seen by over 100 million people worldwide the program was a finalist for 6 Canadian Screen Awards in the categories of Producer, Director, Art Direction, Sound, Host, Opening, winning in 3 categories including Best Direction.
2016
BUNBURY FILMS/ NFB
C0-Director | Writer| Producer
ZIMBELISM
Read more about this experience
Distributed by the National Film Board of Canada and Gravitas Ventures in the US, the film has been selected for The Shanghai International Film Festival, The Beijing International Film Festival, Festival International du Film sur l’Art in Montreal, The DART Festival in Barcelona, The Canada China International Film Festival, Salem Doc Festival, Raindance in London and Hot Docs in Toronto where it was a finalist for the audience choice award. Zimbelism has also screened around the world on television and all the major streaming platforms.
JULY 1, 2011
CANADA DAY ON PARLIAMENT HILL
Artistic Director | Creative Lead Producer
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA | NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION
Read more about this experience
Creation of original musical, video, spoken word content – directing 2 live to air shows with a cast & crew of more than 450 people and a $4.3 million budget. Leading creative development with Canadian and UK government, TV, Radio, Web platforms & international broadcasters. Supervising all aspects of show running, set creation, projection and production, including cirque artists 7 Doigts du la Main, Sam Roberts, Pierre Lapointe, Elisapie Isaac, Florence K, Zogma Dance, Kampania, Quartet Orphee, Great Big Sea & Corb Lund. Resulting in the largest attendance record in the history of the event with more than 300,000 people live and audiences of more than 3.5 million on television, radio and web.
MAY 22, 2016
CANAL D, TV5
Writer| Director | Host
UN AMERICAN AU QUEBEC
Read more about this experience
POV Docu-comedy about an American who moves to Quebec and learns how to speak French without ever using a verb.