Matt Szymanowski is a director, writer, and creative producer with over 15 years of experience in film, digital, branded content, and AI-enhanced storytelling. He began his career in San Francisco working with boutique agencies like mkshft cllctv (even/odd films) before moving into producing roles with CBS Interactive and then Stories International, a Hakuhodo company in Los Angeles. At Stories, he helped develop branded content for U.S. and Japanese markets, collaborating with a roster of global directors and brands.

He later joined Immortals Gaming Club, backed by Lionsgate and AEG, where he served as creative producer leading campaigns, developing original marketing IP, building a content team from the ground up, and overseeing brand partnerships across esports, lifestyles brands, and entertainment. As a senior creative strategist at John Weston Group, he directed and produced content and initiatives for clients including DLA Piper, Lincoln Property Company and high-level real estate ventures. His commercial and branded work has included projects for Netflix, Pepsi, and Volvo.

As a filmmaker, his debut feature The Purple Onion (2015), starring Edwin Li and local comedians from the San Francisco comedy scene, was a Sundance Lab finalist and distributed by Cinemation. His current films in post-production include A Human Future (2025), a hybrid documentary shot in California and Amsterdam exploring AI and identity, and Captive Mind (2026), a dystopian sci-fi feature blending live action and AI-generated visuals. Both projects reflect his focus on the psychological and philosophical issues of the modern age.

Alongside commercial and narrative work, Matt has been deeply involved in education and nonprofit storytelling. He served as an audio-video specialist at the nonprofit Music Team in San Francisco, and has taught or mentored youth through programs with 826 Valencia, BAYCAT, the San Francisco Film Society, and San Francisco Unified School District, often working with incarcerated or underserved students to teach storytelling as a tool for expression and healing.

Originally from Silicon Valley and born to Polish immigrants, Matt studied writing and film at Emerson College and Loyola Marymount University and received a directing certificate from the Polish National Film School in Łódź. As a Berlinale Talents, MacDowell Colony Fellow, he is the founder of Pluto Studios, an AI-driven production company based in Poland. His recent projects include AI-enhanced short films featured at ARTINTELL and Curious Refuge Project of the Week, and campaigns produced in collaboration with Aiopost and Shootme Warsaw. He regularly speaks on the intersection of storytelling and technology at events across Europe and the Middle East, including TEDx, the AI Film and Ad Festival in Dubai, and AI Fusion in Film Berlin. His career reflects a belief that great storytelling is more than content. It is how we shape culture, spark emotion, and imagine what comes next.