Playing With Matches
Film Screening & Ticket Information
When & Where to See this Film!
LOCAL EXPRESS: A mixed bag from filmmakers across the city.
April 26, 2024 @ 2:00PM • MoMI Redstone
Synopsis
After his friends suggest he go on dating apps as an easy method of getting casual sex, Dave downloads and starts swiping but each date proves to be worse than the last.
Credits
Matthew Petti, Director
Matthew Petti, Writer
Benjamin Gregory, Producer
Director Statement
This film, while funny and possible relatable to some, is also meant to be a cautionary tale to a generation of young men who are over-stimulated and chronically exposed to a hyper-sexualized culture and imagery on the internet. This culture creates unrealistic expectations of what sex and romance looks like in the modern world and can stunt the maturity of young men, increase their commodification of women over respect for them as human beings, and put both men and women in situations they would generally never put themselves otherwise for the sake of sexual gratification. Moreover, it’s just not a good look.
Director Biography
Matthew is a writer, director, and producer of short films and underground music videos based in the NYC area. Born to middle-class Italian and Jewish parents who spent most of their lives paying for things they could not afford, Matthew has both a strong sense of responsibility and guilt which follows him into every project he makes. With a Bachelor’s in film from Drexel University, Matthew works as an Assistant Production Coordinator/ Travel Coordinator for local NYC shoots. He prides himself on using creative and pragmatic problem-solving to make a $5,000 budget look like $5 million on screen. His short film Autumn Leaves has screened at festivals both foreign and domestic.
