Matthew Millan

Bridge To Hope (2016 - 2017)
Series by Bridge To Hope Director, Cinematographer, Editor In 2016, director Matthew Millan spent several months in North Carolina working with producer Michael Kirtley and non-profit Bridges to Common Ground - headed by former Congressman Mark Siljander - to create a series that focuses on building bridges between Muslims and Evangelical Christians. In his time there, he also worked with Harvest House Evangelical Church to create a forum of young parishioners to discuss the problem and solutions to building bridges between the two communities. Millan filmed and edited the videos of the first phase. The second phase will begin at the end of 2017. SYNOPSIS: The Bridge to Hope Campaign (BTH) is a wide-sweeping, long-term internet film project founded by Michael Kirtley to improve relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims, especially focused on issues of Islamophobia and ideological polarization and radicalization on both sides. Its target audience is people who are confused, fearful, or hateful towards people of other faiths, young people in particular. Its long-term mission is to create a more peaceful and loving world through the power of social media and social networking, using the communications power of filmmaking.

Stronger Than Bullets (2011 - 2016)
Documentary by 180 Films, Turning Tables (Adventure, Documentary and Musical) Director, Cinematographer The award winning rock & roll documentary from the sands of the Sahara… After witnessing firsthand the music revolution in Libya, Matthew Millan set out to create a high-octane film that truly captures the spirit of rock & roll. Despite an increasingly difficult environment as post-revolution Libya plunged into the abyss of civil war, Millan was able to navigate the pitfalls and capture the moment, conduct interviews, and gather footage. With the incalculable help of ACE award winning maven Doug Blush, Millan created an award-winning breakneck-paced punk song of a film that successfully captures the revolution through the musicians' eyes. On October 19th, 2016, STRONGER THAN BULLETS made its network premiere on the Al Jazeera English series Witness. SYNOPSIS: Libya, 2011. Amidst the bloody revolution to overthrow the tyrant Moammar Gaddafi, a defiant music scene explodes from the dust of war. After 42 years of silence, Benghazi suddenly resounds with a melodic fury, with hip-hop, heavy metal, rock, blues, and even country music echoing around the city. Suddenly, the once-silent streets of the crumbling city reverberate with the hopes and aspirations of a long-neglected youth, and a counter-culture is born. Stronger than Bullets introduces the musicians who rise, and follows them as they stand shoulder-to-shoulder, guitar to rifle, alongside rebel fighters. But once victory is won, the tyrant shatters into a thousand pieces, and shadowy groups emerge to plunge Libya into conflict and chaos. With bombings, assassination, and gun battles dominating the landscape, the musicians once again must practice in secret, their hard-earned freedom of expression threatened by a counter-revolution. Yet the fire of hope burns brightly within them. With a burning desire to hold onto what they gained, they artists once again grab their instruments and cry defiantly, “Strings are stronger than bullets.”

Stronger Than Bullets (2011 - 2016)
Documentary by 180 Films, Turning Tables (Adventure, Documentary and Musical) Editor The award winning rock & roll documentary from the sands of the Sahara… After witnessing firsthand the music revolution in Libya, Matthew Millan set out to create a high-octane film that truly captures the spirit of rock & roll. With the incalculable help of A.C.E. award-winning maven Doug Blush, Millan created an award-winning breakneck-paced punk song of a film that successfully captures the revolution through the musicians' eyes. Combining his own footage with footage from a variety of sources, Millan was able to put the viewer on the ground in the midst of the revolution and post-revolutionary confusion. The end result is a taut, harrowing, larger-than-life film that follows ordinary people as they navigate through extraordinary events. SYNOPSIS: Libya, 2011. Amidst the bloody revolution to overthrow the tyrant Moammar Gaddafi, a defiant music scene explodes from the dust of war. After 42 years of silence, Benghazi suddenly resounds with a melodic fury, with hip-hop, heavy metal, rock, blues, and even country music echoing around the city. Suddenly, the once-silent streets of the crumbling city reverberate with the hopes and aspirations of a long-neglected youth, and a counter-culture is born. Stronger than Bullets introduces the musicians who rise, and follows them as they stand shoulder-to-shoulder, guitar to rifle, alongside rebel fighters. But once victory is won, the tyrant shatters into a thousand pieces, and shadowy groups emerge to plunge Libya into conflict and chaos. With bombings, assassination, and gun battles dominating the landscape, the musicians once again must practice in secret, their hard-earned freedom of expression threatened by a counter-revolution. Yet the fire of hope burns brightly within them. With a burning desire to hold onto what they gained, they artists once again grab their instruments and cry defiantly, “Strings are stronger than bullets.”

We Win or We Die (2011)
Documentary by 180 Films (Adventure, Documentary and News) Director, Cinematographer, Producer, Co-editor February, 2011. The people of Benghazi revolt against the brutal regime of Moammar Gaddafi. Yet standing in the way of liberation is the 2-mile sprawling fortress known as The Katiba. Holding hundreds of soldiers and heavy artillery, it stands poised to rain death down upon the protesters. WE WIN OR WE DIE is the story of an ordinary Libyan who understands that there is but one way to stop the bloodshed. One way to gain freedom. The sprawling fortress, the Fist of Gaddafi, the Katiba must fall...

The Pawnbroker (2010)
Video by 180 Films (Musical) Director, Editor, Colorist Music video for singer/songwriter Ryan Bisio. The video is an reimagined Depression era version of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.