Matthew Gunn

I’m a UK based screenwriter, author, writing tutor, and stage writer. I graduated in Film with BA Hons in 1997. I was lucky enough to be tutored by the late, great, Ken Russell and Irish award-winning playwright Seamus Finnegan.

I’ve had feature scripts produced and distributed in recent years through Sony Home Entertainment, 4 Digital Media, Vertical Entertainment, Archstone Entertainment, and Greenway Entertainment. Alongside award selections at LA Neo Noir, LA Cinefest, Buffalo, London Portobello Road, and a feature spread in Digital Film Maker Magazine.

Stage plays I’ve written have been performed across London, Surrey, and Europe, at the Rhoda McGraw, New Victoria and London Courtyard Theatres. Winning a European writers' award for my version of Samuel Becketts 'First Love'.

I have managed and tutored writing workshops for students of all ages to ignite their flair and ambition in creating story content. Working with them to achieve their goals and be proud of what they create.

As an author, I have four published books. The first in 2005, then after a sixteen-year break, three released back-to-back at the start of 2021. The genres vary from crime-thriller, to coming of age drama, an apocalyptic sci-fi, and a Vietnam war story.

I support cancer research and hospice charities, giving proceeds of my novels in dedication and in memory of my beautiful mum. I am a lifelong fan of Liverpool FC, Somerset Cricket Club and the New York Giants.


South East


CONTACT DETAILS

Mobile:                       UK+ 07849 555 952

Email:                         mjgunnwriter@yahoo.com

Skype:                         mjgunn13

Full Member Writers Guild of Great Britain

IMDB Listing:            http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3243433/

 

FEATURE CREDITS

Driving Home for Christmas (2023)


Genre: Road Movie Thriller


Company: Eoghan Synnott, award winning editor, director


Role: Co-Script Writer and Concept Treatment


Synopsis: 1999. Two girls, Jane and Harri, bond as they travel across a snowbound America to make it home for Christmas. After a car crash leads to Jane being kidnapped, Harri will risk everything to save her.


Status: Script Completed. Development/Pre-Production Funding.



Safe (2022)


Genre: Survival Thriller


Company: Eoghan Synnott (Director)


Role: Co-Script Writer


Synopsis: A woman wakes up tied to a chair in a container. She breaks out into a maze of containers. All with dangers both mentally and physically she must overcome to find a way out to escape and find out why she was put there.


Status: Currently in final stages of Pre-Production. Shooting Autumn 2022.


 

Inmate Zero (2019)

Genre:                         Dystopian-Horror

Company:                   Golden Crab Films & Ockham Films

Role:                            Original Screenplay & Story

Synopsis:                    Medical trails end up in a re-purposed prison for the world's most violent criminals. When experiments go wrong, the entire island becomes a terrifying, disease riddled maze for desperate survivors.

Released:                     Distribution/ Vertical Entertainment & Dimension Pictures.

 

Ride By  (2019/20 -)

Genre:                         Urban Crime-Drama (based on a true story).

Company:                   Ockham Films

Role:                            Screenplay & Story

Synopsis:                    Thusha Kamaleswaran was the youngest victim of gun-crime in UK. This true story follows the tragic events from victim, police, and criminals points of view.

Released:                     Independent Cinemas, and Worldwide Festivals.

 

A Room To Die For (2017)

Genre:                         Psychological-Horror

Company:                   Champagne Charlie Productions

Role:                            Screenwriter & Producer

Synopsis:                    When a broke young couple rent a room in an elderly couple's house, horror unfolds as no one appears to be who they really are.

Festivals:                     Award nominated at British Horror Festival (screened at Empire, London)

Released:                     Distribution/ 4Digital Media & Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

 

Rash (2017)

Genre:                         Crime-Drama / Found-Footage

Company:                   Swing of the Shovel Productions

Role:                            Screenwriter & Producer

Synopsis:                    A musician, a female police officer and a paranoid conspiracy theorist, collide across the same forty-eight hours leading to tragedy in London.

Released:                     Distribution/ Greenway Entertainment (VOD, DVD, Prime)

 

Frank Phoenix (2016) / released as 100 Bullets (2018)

Genre:                         Crime Neo-Noir

Company:                   Animus Pictures

Role:                            Screenwriter

Synopsis:                    Five years ago, Frank Phoenix robbed The Firm. Betrayed by his own crew and murdered the stolen gold was never found. But could Frank Phoenix still be alive? Someone is planning revenge.

Festivals:                     Award nominations at LA Neo Noir, Buffalo Niagara, LA Cinefest.

Released:                     Distribution/ Cinema Epoch as ‘100 Bullets’

 

Immigrant (2018)

Genre:                         Crime-Drama

Company:                   Medan Productions

Role:                            Screenwriter

Synopsis:                    An illegal immigrant cab driver meets a prostitute on the run from her brutal pimp. Can they escape London alive?

Released:                    VOD formats (including - iTunes, amazon)

 

The Wonderful Digby (2016)

Genre:                         Music Documentary

Company:                   Swing of the Shovel Productions

Role:                            Screenwriter & Director

Synopsis:                    Following a grass roots performers live shows across UK and America, building his new stage persona 'The Wonderful Digby'.

Released:                     MY Production Ltd (including Amazon Prime).

 

Trilogy Room 237  (2008)

Genre:                         Black-Comedy

Company:                   H2o Film & Casanova Entertainment

Role:                            Screenwriter

Synopsis:                    A lonely hit-woman, a grand-master chess player, and a schizophrenic psychiatrist lives collide in the same hotel.

Released:                     European Television release and worldwide film festivals

 

Sleeping with Fishes (2006)

Genre:                         Crime Drama

Company:                   Stray Monkey Productions

Role:                            Screenwriter & Director

Synopsis:                    Keith, an addicted gambler has thirty-two hours to find £20k.

Released:                     London Portobello Road, and Sky Film (Propeller Network)

 

 

TELEVISION CREDITS

The Bubbles (2022-23)


Genre: Kids Animation TV Series (8-13mins per episode)


Company: Red One Media. Producers: Mike Le Han, Helen Le Han.


Role: Co-Script Writer 9 episodes & Series Concept Bible


Synopsis: Three generations of The Bubble Family live on a farm in southern America in the mid 1980s. Each episode follows an comedic adventure for one of the family, with a lesson learnt at the end for both children and adults.


Status: Post-production. All season 1 episodes being animated and voiced.  Release Autumn 2023



TV Pilots and Concept Portfolios (2019-2022)


Development of Television Serial Concept Portfolio.


3 x TV Serials. Series Treatments/Bibles. Pilot Episodes.


Titles/ Genre: Rise (Science-Fiction): 10x60 minutes


Brothers Sinn (Detective-Comedy) 12x30 minutes


The Contract (Crime-Thriller) 12x60 minutes


Company: Gunn & Synnott Creative (GS Creative)


Role: Co-Concept Creator & Co-Script Writer


Development Packages, Treatments, and Bibles


Story Editor


Status: Pitching American Management to commissions Netflix / Amazon.


 

Deptford to Antarctica (2017)

Genre:                         Drama

Company:                   White Lantern Films

Role:                            Co-Concept Creator and Pilot Script-Writer

Synopsis:                    Based on the autobiography of Greenpeace's co-founder, Pete Wilkinson.

Status:                          Development. Pitching Netflix, Amazon, E4, and BBC.

 

What Makes A Football Team (2010/11)

Genre:                         Sporting Documentary

Company:                   Stray Monkey Productions & Sky Sports Xtra

Role:                            Co-Concept Creator

Synopsis:                    Looking at key football team areas from goalkeepers to defenders, midfielders to attackers, and managers calling the shots.

Status:                          Developed and made with Sky Sports Xtra team for online release

 

 

NOVELS


Waltz of the Hunter (2022)


Role: Story Consultant / Story Editor


Company: Matthew J Kitsell (Author)


Genre: Crime-Thriller


Synopsis: Continuing the Tom Noonan stories, in this sequel to ‘The Beautiful Anna Raven’ Noonan is blackmailed into doing a high-risk criminal job by his old mentor and now nemesis Lomax. But just who is the hunter and hunted?



City of Shadows (2021)


Role: Author


Genre: Science-Fiction


Synopsis: After an apocalypse, Ashcroft believes he’s the last human left. Until he meets another survivor, Joplin. Together they must survive a diseased world and the mysterious ‘Shadows’ that begin to hunt them.



Break-In (2021)


Role: Author


Genre: Crime-Thriller


Synopsis: Writer Matt Ryan moves to a coastal village where notorious underworld figure Burton has retired. After he’s broken into Matt uncovers a secret conspiracy leading back to World War II.



Beautiful Anna Ravan (2020 - ‘21)


Role: Story Consultant / Story Editor


Company: Matthew J Kitsell (Author)


Genre: Crime-Thriller


Synopsis: The mysterious loner Noonan helps a beautiful woman, Anna Raven, on the run from her violent criminal husband. Together they journey across the coastal shorelines to escape both their pasts pursued by a crazed hitman.



The Stone Killers  (2021)


Role: Author


Genre: Vietnam War-Drama


Synopsis: 1971, the soldiers of Bravo Company return home from Vietnam to find a country that no longer wants them. Offered mercenary work by ‘The Agency’ they fight on the Cambodian border against a brutal warlord.



Horsman (2019-2020)


Role: Story Editor


Genre: Superhero Comic Book


Synopsis: The galloping heroic adventures of Jim Stallion, stable boy by day, crime fighter by night, he is HORSEMAN! A new thoroughbred of hero!



Britpop (2005)


Published: Author House


Role: Author as MJ Gunn


Genre: Coming-of-Age


Synopsis: Seven students keep a personal diary about university life during the Britpop music years of 1994-1997 in a strange windy city that holds many secrets.


 

THEATRE CREDITS

Transfer Deadline Day (2010)


Genre: Sporting-Comedy


Company: Stray Monkey Productions


Role: Writer & Director


Synopsis: A famous footballer is smuggled into a struggling club on transfer deadline day. But the manager, chairman, and ex-star player have other transfer plans!


Performances: London Courtyard Theatre



First Love (2009)


Genre: Black-Comedy


Company: H2o Theatre


Role: Writer (adaptation of Samuel Beckett's short story)


Synopsis: A homeless man debates the course of true love.


Performances: Across Europe. *Winner of European playwright award.



Hot Pants and Flares (2008)


Genre: Musical


Company: MADS Stage & Dance School


Role: Writer


Synopsis: In the late 1970s disco is in full swing as a group of teenagers embrace the new music, fight one another and fall in and out of love.


Performances: Rhoda McGraw Theatre.



Sticks and Stones (1999–2000)


Genre: War-Drama


Company: Gutted Film & theatre Company


Role: Script Editor & Assistant Director


Synopsis: Spanning thirty years following two family’s lives torn apart by Bloody Sunday.


Performances: Performances 1999 Jacksons Lane & 2001 Tricycle


*Irish Post Award Winning Play


 

RADIO CREDITS

Britpop Tarts (2010)

Genre:                         Soap-Opera

Company:                   Forge Radio

Role:                            Serial Writer & Concept Creator

Synopsis:                    Jarvis, Liam, Noel, Damon, and Justine get into mischief round Camden Town at the height of Britpop!

 

WRITING WORKSHOP TUTOR

Bradfield College

Years:             2012-16

Course:            Film Screenwriting Workshops

Level:              A Levels

Role:                Head Workshop Tutor & Course Manager

 

Birbeck University of London

Years:              2009-17

Course:            Writing for TV

Level:              MA Level

Role:                Guest Speaker & Workshop Tutor

 

Queen Marys College, Guildford College, Strodes College

Years:             2008-17

Course:            Creative Writing & Film Making Workshop

Level:              GCSE. A Level.

Role:                Head Workshop Tutor & Course Manager

Animation, Books, Childrens writing, Comedy, Comedy (topical), Film, Online writing, Poetry, Radio, Scripted reality, Short story, Television, Theatre, Videogames