Laguna Negra – now showing in film festivals worldwide
Laguna Negra is a 13 minute film about a high Andean lake and its 150 year history as the most important water source for almost half of the population of Chile. The film uses historical reenactment from 1873 and modern day mountain guides to tell the story of where Santiago´s water comes from. Laguna Negra was produced by Earth Rise Productions and was filmed in April and May 2024 in the Cajón del Maipo. Direction and editing by Matt Maynard. Script by Tomás Rivas. Original flute compositions on the mountain by Sergío Olivares. Narration by Catalina Illesca. Costume design by Paola Flores. Camera operation by Matt Maynard, Daniela Rakos and Yair Barrios. Funding was provided by Aguas Andinas. Laguna Negra is being screened for the first time this November at the Santiago Mountain Film Festival, as part of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour.
Coyhaique Emerge
Coyhaique Emerge is a six minute short filmed in September 2024, following atmospheric scientists on their mission to measure seasonal winter air pollution in Chile´s Patagonian city of Coyhaique. On certain days of the year, this city surrounded by mountains and virgin forests becomes one of the most polluted cities throughout South American as temperature inversions trap wood smoke creating dangerous health implications for its citizens. Whilst flying drones to measure the dispersion of the pollution as different altitudes, the scientists visit local families and a school to share their findings, raise awareness of the pollution´s impact and suggest changes that can be made to improve overall well being. (Spanish language only currently).
Adventure film – Transformer
Transformer is a 3 minute film about first experiences in the mountains told through the mind´s eye of a four year old with the help of AI. It was filmed in 2023 during antipodean winter in the El Arrayán valley in the foothills above Santiago de Chile. It was filmed and edited by Matt Maynard and is currently being shown at adventure film festivals worldwide.
Documentary film – Wala
Wala is a 16min documentary film from the world´s southerly most inhabited island, Isla Navarino. Its narrative weaves the story of two modern adventurers sent to Tierra del Fuego to map the island´s trails, with the pre-history of the island´s indigenous inhabitants the Yagán. Wala challenges the traditional adventure narrative and invites viewers to reflect on what they seek when going into the world´s wild places. Production by AndesHandbook. Witten, directed, filmed and edited by Matt Maynard. Some of Wala´s screenings include its inclusion in the Banff Mountain Film Festival world tour in Santiago in December 2022 and the Santiago Wild film festival in association with National Geographic in March 2023. Wala was filmed in 2020 on Isla Navarino.
Surf film teaser – El Ñino
El Ñino is an antipodean surf film currently in production in Chile. In 2023 and 2024 the massive El Niño phenomenon is dumping monstrous surfable waves along all the hotspots of the South American coast. But the life of the surfers in these coastal towns who drop into these waves are more complex than just that fleeting brilliant moment in the sun. El Ñino is being produced by Earth Rise Productions and is directed by Matt Maynard.
Client – Patagonia. Part III
Patagonia funded a 6 month environmental story telling project in 2023 called El Despertar del Río. It sought to reconnect Santiago´s citizens with their remaining rivers and water sources. Matt worked with dancers to interpret the water cycle, narrating its course from High Andean glaciers to the mouth of the Pacific Ocean in San Antonio. El Renacer is the third of three videos in this mini series. It asks questions about why it is important for the river to reach the sea and invites us to examine the relationship between fresh and salt water bodies.
Client – Patagonia. Part II
Patagonia funded a 6 month environmental story telling project in 2023 called El Despertar del Río. It sought to reconnect Santiago´s citizens with their remaining rivers and water sources. Matt worked with dancers to interpret the water cycle, narrating its course from High Andean glaciers to the mouth of the Pacific Ocean in San Antonio. El Cicatriz del Río is the second of three videos in this mini series. It examines the relationship Santiaguinos have with the Mapocho and Maipo Rivers as they pass through the capital city.
Client – Patagonia. Part I
Patagonia funded a 6 month environmental story telling project in 2023 called El Despertar del Río. It sought to reconnect Santiago´s citizens with their remaining rivers and water sources. Matt worked with dancers to interpret the water cycle, narrating its course from High Andean glaciers to the mouth of the Pacific Ocean in San Antonio. El Viaje de Ondina is the first of three videos in this mini series. It begins in the breathless high-altitude climate of glaciers and Andean watercourses. El Viaje de Ondina invites us to think more closely about our often abstract understanding of the fragile and yet essential ecosystem in which our most essential resource begins its journey to our home and beyond.
Tres Puntas – CR2
Tres Puntas is a 90 second short, filmed for the Centre for Climate Science and Resilience at 3800m above sea level at the Valle Nevado atmospheric measuring station in central Chile. This was the second collaboration with the multi-disciplinary research group CR2, with the outreach seeking to communicate the importance of the measurements the scientists are taking to understand snow fall and the impacts on hydrological security in the Santiago Metropolitan region.
Client – The Guardian
In February 2022 Matt travelled to Patagonia for the Guardian to tell the conservation story of the diminutive huemul deer. Through interviews with wildlife experts in the field and five days stalking the animal in its native habitat, Matt filmed and edited this short for the Guardian. The film accompanied his story and photo set for the Guardian about the rewilding potential of the the huemul throughout Patagonia and was published on May 29th. You can see Matt´s film, his photos and story, ¨The Case of the disappearing deer¨– here.
Documentary film – Ojos del Salado Sky Race
Ojos del Salado Sky Race is a 9 minute documentary film from the world´s highest ever trail race. It follows the story of two runners –23 year old Domi Villarino and 64 year old Jaime Hume – as they relive their race towards the summit of the planet´s highest volcano. The film was made using post event interviews, combined with race still photography and drone footage. Matt was at the 6,493m finish line of the race to shoot the photography in December 2022. The film was produced with Latitud Sur, edited the following year in March and April by Matt and was released in May 2023 on Vimeo
Documentary film – Queremos parque
Queremos Parque is a 34 minute environmental documentary about the Chilean grassroots campaign that seeks to democratise mountain access in this long thin country and create a 142,000ha national park in a wilderness area on the outskirts of Santiago. Access to the Olivares and Colorado valleys is currently restricted by a controversial hydroelectric power plant and the only way to access the area was covertly entering the Valle Colorado in a cattle truck. Accompanied by three Chilean activists and mountaineers, Matt spent four days filming and photographing this wilderness area for the Queremos Parque film. Queremos Parque was financed by Patagonia. It was directed and edited by Victor Leyton. The director of photography was Álvaro Díaz.
Documentary film – Qué viene ahora (What´s next)
Qué viene ahora (What´s next) is a 34 minute gravel bike adventure documentary about the 1000km Across Andes race in Chile´s Araucanía region. The film, financed by Specialized bikes, takes viewers on a journey rich with volcanoes, monkey puzzle trees and charging coastal surf. Matt was the production still photographer for Qué viene ahora. The film was directed and edited by Andrés Figueroa.
Documentary film – A Handful of Dust
A handful of dust is a 57 minute documentary film, made for streaming on Movistar Play, about the 2020 Fireflies Patagonia gravel bike ride Fireflies Patagonia. Matt was the production still photographer for the film. A handful of dust was directed by Jay Brasier-Creagh, produced by Phil Tidy and edited by Ross Hallard.
Client – Vivir Más Feliz Foundation
Matt Maynard´s photography from three years shooting the Fireflies Patagonia bike raid was published in this beautiful book about the ride in 2021. All proceeds go to Chilean child cancer research centre Troi, and the Vivir Más Feliz foundation.
Client – Collaboration with Kings College London
An air pollution investigation by bicycle. In 2018 Matt Maynard cycled an overland route passing every stop on the London Underground´s Northern Line to see if a bicycle journey exposed you to more air pollution than taking the tube. The PM2.5 measuring device was provided by King´s College London. Our data collected, when compared to KCL´s, showed that PM2.5 levels were significantly lower for cyclists making the journey than Tube travellers. Production by Earth Rise Productions. Filming and editing by Jimmy Hyland.