About Me

For as long as I can remember, I've loved movies. And to love movies, is to love story.

I've loved sitting so close to the television that I practically burned Jurassic Park into my eyeballs, early in the morning on school days before my parents woke up. I've loved falling in love with the geography of a certain film, say, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and existing in it on summer trips to Chicago. I've loved learning the filmic language and the aesthetic compositions that create some of the most impactful scenes which make up the web of my memory of the form. I've loved mastering the art of good story, from structure to character development, to emotional resonance, and everything in between.

So, ten years ago, upon graduating with a Bachelor's in Film Studies from the University of Maryland, I decided I was going to start making movies. I was going to set off to create in the vein of those moments of cinema that had been scratched into my memories.

In 2019, I received my Masters in Fine Arts from Sacred Heart University, majoring in Film Production with a focus on Directing. It was in this program that I learned the importance of story in filmmaking, and decided that would be my focus for the rest of my career: story above all.

Upon graduating, I created Kicker Pictures, alongside my creative partner; Connor Rog. We have successfully kept that company afloat for just about eight years (as of September 2025), with consistent video projects from returning (happy) clients and new clients looking to make their visions a reality. 

Together with Kicker Pictures, I've piloted and worked on nearly one hundred different projects, ranging from music videos to narrative short films, a feature-length documentary I shot on location in Norway, dozens of fundraising videos for worthy non-profits in the New Haven area, and everything in between. I've worked with clients such as Newman's Own Foundation, Harvard University, Fairfield Theatre Company, Sans Serif Recording, Team Woofgang & Co, Links Drinks, Horizons, and so many more.

This August (2025, that is), my partner (Meg) and I moved to Detroit to start a new adventure, and as we commenced this new epic together, my creative work is following suit. Still a member of Kicker Pictures, I'm also looking for work in the Detroit, MI area to satisfy my creative itch.

Willing to travel, and able to work with nearly any budget, I'm a proud grassroots filmmaker with a penchant for aesthetic beauty, a thirst for creativity, and an emphasis on story. I'm looking for Cinematography work, Directing work, I'll produce, I'm open to all of it!

Please, check out some of my works contained on this sight, and don't hesitate to reach out via the contact form or a direct email to matt.valade@gmail.com.

I can't wait to create with you.