MATTEO GUASTAMACCHIO

writer + director

I’m Matt, a multidisciplinary artist from Connecticut, now based in Nashville. My background spans film, music, and illustration, but no matter the medium, I’ve always been drawn to art that makes you think and feel something, hopefully something you haven’t given yourself the space to engage with.

I couldn’t be happier with the angle we’re taking with this film. As much of a fan of The Godfather as I am, not every Italian American movie needs to be about criminals. This one is about the underdog. A story for those who know what it’s like to pursue a goal and come up short. 

I’m fueled by the chance to tell stories that feel relatable, but still unexpected, even if the backdrop is foreign to you. Most of all, I believe art should entertain. That’s what I always aim to do.

The malocchio not only shows up as IBS and headaches. It can also manifest as bad luck.
I’ve definitely had my fair share of bad luck, which is what inspired me to write 'malocchio.'

Let’s take Thanksgiving 2018, for instance…

THE FLOODS

pt 1

Dinner Turned Disaster

My now fiancée, had her sister visiting and all I wanted was to give them a nice holiday to remember. Instead we were interrupted by a call — my apartment had flooded from the ceiling with dirty water. my upstairs neighbor had shoved a sock in her tub. At least, that's what they said.

My money is on my slumlord sabotaging the property for insurance money.

Not much was salvageable, but it sure was a memorable Holiday.

WE CALL THIS

THE FIRST FLOOD

pt 2

Five Feet Under

Three years later, fresh off the heels of a global pandemic, a storm hit overnight. 

I was woken up by a text: "Do not enter buildings. The Red Cross is on site." 

When I arrived home I found the stairwell down to my apartment underwater, the floor invisible and my unit destroyed.

Instruments, camera and recording gear, 82 TB’s of hard drives, years of work — gone overnight, submerged by 5 feet of water.

THE SECOND FLOOD

WE CALL THIS

pt 3

The Last Nail

Needing to get away and reset, I drove back to Connecticut from Nashville. While home, I was caught in a freak downpour — a flood. My car stalled out, ultimately, getting totaled. I thought, “This is the last straw.

I’m still young enough to change my career path. Should I?” What would young Matt say? Does that matter?

WE CALL THIS

THE THIRD FLOOD

Some say I'm cursed…maybe. 

But, this film is not a biography, nor is it a retelling of those bizarre floods. I share these stories because they are in the spirit of this movie. Reminders that bad luck doesn’t care what your plans are.

What matters is finding what it takes to persevere through adversity and find deeper meaning — in life, in career, in family. We are only as strong as the support we receive from our friends and family.