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M. H. Murray

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This article is about the Canadian filmmaker. For other people with similar names, see Matthew Murray (disambiguation).

M. H. Murray
Murray at a 2017 screening of Teenagers
Born
Mathew Hubert Murray

(1993-06-04) June 4, 1993 (age 31)
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
EducationYork University
Occupation(s)Filmmaker, writer, director, producer
Years active2013–present
Notable workTeenagers
Websitemathewmurray.ca

Mathew Hubert Murray[a] (born June 4, 1993), credited professionally as M. H. Murray, is a Canadian filmmaker, writer, director, and producer. He first attracted attention for his work on the web series Teenagers (2014–2017), which won several accolades.[1][2] Murray's feature-length film debut, I Don't Know Who You Are, premiered in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[3]

Early life

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Murray was raised in the Port Credit area of Mississauga,[4] by a French Canadian mother and a Scottish Canadian father.[5] In high school, he started a YouTube channel and began creating "little slasher films" with his family and friends.[5][6] He graduated from York University's film school.[7]

Career

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While in film school, Murray began working on his first web series, titled Teenagers.[7][8] The series ran for three seasons, from 2014 to 2017, initially attracting media attention because its cast included former Degrassi stars such as Chloe Rose and Raymond Ablack.[9] Murray co-created the series with close friend Sara Tamosauskas and produced the first season alongside Emmanuel Kabongo, who also starred in all three seasons of the series.[10] The second season's premiere episode went viral,[11] amassing millions of views on YouTube.[12] Since its release, Teenagers has received positive reviews from critics and several accolades, including a Canadian Screen Award nomination and an Indie Series Award.[12][13][14][15]

Following the conclusion of Teenagers, Murray wrote and directed a short film titled Ghost.[5] The film stars Mark Clennon as Benjamin, a gay musician who is "ghosted" by his lover.[16][17] The film screened virtually at film festivals in Toronto, Seattle, Paris, and Connecticut.[18][19][17][20] In 2022, he co-directed the music video for Clennon's song "Kingston".[21]

Murray with Mark Clennon at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival

Murray's feature-length film debut, I Don't Know Who You Are, also starring Clennon, premiered in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[22] The film has received positive reviews from critics.[23] Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail ranked the film 7th on his list of the top 10 Canadian films of 2023,[24] describing the film as "a tremendously tense portrait of small-scale desperation" and "a seriously impressive micro-budget debut".[25]

Influences

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Murray's work on Teenagers has drawn comparisons to the Degrassi franchise.[26] In a December 2016 interview with CBC's q radio show, Murray refuted Degrassi comparisons, saying that while he "respects" the show, he believes that Teenagers is "a fresh take on that experience".[1] Murray has stated that he was influenced by Issa Rae's The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, John Hughes's The Breakfast Club, and Larry Clark's Kids.[27]

Murray has cited American actor and filmmaker John Cassavetes as an influence, and "people who use their own resources and money to get their projects going when studios or other people ignore them."[6]

Accolades

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Year Association Category Nominated work Result Refs
2016 Vancouver Web Series Festival Best Drama Series Teenagers Nominated [28]
Best Screenplay Won [28]
2017 International Academy of Web Television Best Directing (Drama) Nominated [29]
2018 Vancouver Web Series Festival Best Canadian Series Won [2]
Best Drama Series Nominated [2]
Best Screenplay Nominated [2]
2023 Calgary International Film Festival $10,000 RBC Emerging Artist Award I Don't Know Who You Are Nominated [30]
2024 Riviera International Film Festival Best Film Nominated [31]
Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival Rising Star Award Won [32]

References

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  1. ^ a b "M. H. Murray doesn't gloss over the gritty details of being a teenager in his web series | CBC Radio". CBC. December 20, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d Clay, Chris (May 11, 2018). "Mississauga-based web series 'Teenagers' earns pair of awards, racks up views". Mississauga News. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  3. ^ Kay, Jeremy. "TIFF premiere 'I Don't Know Who You Are' lands US deal (exclusive)". Screen. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  4. ^ Clay, Chris (April 29, 2016). "Mississauga director's web series a raw take on teenage life". Mississauga News. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Filmmaker M.H. Murray Tackles Modern-Dating Anxieties in 'Ghost'". Occhi Magazine. May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "M.H. Murray Talks GHOST, What Audiences Can Glean From It and More". Geek Girl Authority. May 13, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Mitchell, Ashlee (January 30, 2014). "A teenage dream". Excalibur. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  8. ^ Greene, Steve (December 13, 2016). "Indiewire's Project of the Day: 'teenagers' | IndieWire". IndieWire. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  9. ^ Chunovic, Louis (January 15, 2014). "New web series Teenagers attracts Degrassi alum". Playback. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  10. ^ "teenagers' Enters its Final Season All Grown Up | Stareable Blog". www.stareable.com. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  11. ^ teenagers (web series) - S2, E1 - "The Difference Between Sex and Fucking", July 26, 2015, retrieved February 9, 2022
  12. ^ a b Durnford, Samie (August 17, 2016). "Binge-worthy Toronto web series". NOW Magazine. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  13. ^ "AS IF BEING A TEENAGER WAS EVER EASY : Teenagers Webseries | Starved Magazine". www.culturestarved.com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  14. ^ Knegt, Peter (January 20, 2016). "7 reasons you should care about the Canadian Screen Awards this year". CBC Arts. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  15. ^ "Where You've Seen The Ginny And Georgia Cast Before". CINEMABLEND. March 5, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  16. ^ "'Ghost'". CTVNews. May 30, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Short film 'Ghost' is a character study of a gay man getting ghosted". etalk. June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  18. ^ Wilner, Norman (July 2, 2020). "Inside Out 2020 is happening (online) in October". NOW Magazine. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  19. ^ Tatum, Erin (May 5, 2021). "Filmmaker M.H. Murray Examines The Anxiety of Modern Dating in New Short Film, "Ghost"". Cliché Magazine. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  20. ^ "Toronto filmmaker explores 'ghosting' and modern dating in new short film". CBC News. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  21. ^ Bell, Kaelen (June 15, 2022). "Mark Clennon Shares New "Kingston" Video, the First Shot in Jamaica to Feature an Onscreen Romance Between Two Men | Exclaim!". Exclaim!.
  22. ^ Hazelton, John. "TIFF Discovery and Midnight Madness line-ups revealed". Screen. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  23. ^ "I Don't Know Who You Are | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  24. ^ "The 10 best Canadian films of 2023, a year of crises and breakthroughs". The Globe and Mail. December 26, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  25. ^ "TIFF 2023: Muted opening weekend puts focus on films instead of celebrities, with mixed results". The Globe and Mail. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  26. ^ "Sex, drugs & violence: Toronto's provocative Web Series "Teenagers" returns for Season Two". www.shedoesthecity.com. August 10, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  27. ^ "Exclusive Interview with Teenagers Creator Mathew Murray". TalkNerdyWithUs. April 2, 2016. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  28. ^ a b Cummins, Julianna (March 23, 2016). "Riftworld, Sudden Master win at Vancouver Web Fest". Playback. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  29. ^ "5th IAWTV Awards 2017 – IAWTV Awards". Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  30. ^ "Calgary International Film Festival adds new competition to 2023". LiveWire Calgary. August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  31. ^ Verbaro, Valeria (May 11, 2024). "I Don't Know Who You Are, la recensione del film di M.H. Murray". The Hollywood Reporter Roma (in Italian). Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  32. ^ Sharpe, Josh. "Winners Revealed for Out Film CT's 37th Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.

Notes

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  1. ^ Murray's full name is listed on his website
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