Matt Zien

Matt Zien
OccupationsTelevision and film producer
Notable workThe Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For, Slauson Rec, This Is Paris, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath
SpouseKirsten Zien (m. 2017)

Matt Zien is an American television and documentary film producer known for his work in nonfiction programming and documentary productions.[1][2] He has worked on documentary series, unscripted television projects, and independent films, including The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For, This Is Paris, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, and Slauson Rec, which premiered in the Cannes Classics section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.[3]

Early life and education

Zien studied at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he developed a background in storytelling and documentary filmmaking.[4]

Career

Zien began his career in television production working on nonfiction and reality programming. During the 2010s, he worked with production companies All3Media America and Studio Lambert involved in documentary and unscripted television formats.[5]

In 2016, Zien joined The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC) where he served in production and development roles related to documentary and factual programming.[6] He later became Vice-President of Development and Creative Director, and head of brand development for Industrial Media,[7] overseeing more than 20 series and specials across HBO, Amazon, Netflix, Showtime, and A&E.

While at IPC, Zien was associated with documentary and nonfiction productions including Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath (A&E). The series received industry recognition and won several Primetime Emmy Awards.[8]

He was promoted to senior vice-president prior to the sale of Industrial Media to Sony Pictures Television in 2022.[9]

Zien also worked on The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For, a documentary series exploring the history and internal disputes surrounding the Von Dutch fashion brand.[10]

In 2025, Zien was credited as a producer on Slauson Rec, a documentary film directed by Leo Lewis O'Neil.[11][12] The film premiered in the Cannes Classics section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.[13] In an interview with Deadline, Zien described the independently funded project as “the dream,” recalling that on the first day of post-production O’Neil wrote “We Cannes do it” on the office whiteboard.[14]

Other projects

Zien has also been involved in media and technology related creative projects, including experimental and AI assisted productions[15][16] through KNGMKR Labs, a company he co-founded with Mac Boucher.[17][18][19]

In 2024, Zien produced Lincoln at Gettysburg, a six minute AI generated short film that received awards at the AI International Film Festival, including Best Picture, Best AI Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Sound.[20]

In 2025, Zien’s AI generated mockumentary The First Humans received the Mockumentary Award at the MetaMorph AI Film Awards. In an interview associated with the festival, Zien discussed the use of AI tools in depicting prehistoric settings and narratives.[21]

Recognition

In 2025, Forbes described Zien as a television and film producer working in AI related filmmaking and immersive media.[22] The same year, gaming publication GamePressure covered his short video Last Call Before A.G.I., discussing audience reactions to the project on online platforms.[23]

Selected filmography

Television

Film

References

  1. ↑ Monbiot, Natalie (16 January 2026). "How the most creative people are using AI to reach new levels". Fast Company. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "Expression About Expression: When AI Looks in the Mirror S82451 | GTC San Jose 2026 | NVIDIA On-Demand". NVIDIA. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  3. ↑ Canfield, David (1 April 2025). "Shia LaBeouf Handed a Stranger a Camera, Then Unraveled Before His Eyes". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  4. ↑ "Realscreen Summit Speaker Profile – Matt Zien". Realscreen. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  5. ↑ "Realscreen Summit Speaker Profile – Matt Zien". Realscreen. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  6. ↑ "Holzman, Undercover Bosses launch indie". C21 Media. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  7. ↑ Petski, Denise (2019-09-12). "Industrial Media Names Devon Hammonds SVP Development & Current Programming – East Coast". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  8. ↑ "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath – Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  9. ↑ "Sony buys American Idol producer for $350 million". Axios. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  10. ↑ "The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For". Hulu. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  11. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (2025-05-19). "'Slauson Rec' Review: A Documentary About Shia LaBeouf's Acting Class — and His Anger Issues — Is More Appalling Than Fascinating". Variety. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  12. ↑ Linden, Sheri (2025-05-18). "'Slauson Rec' Review: Shia LaBeouf Inspires Wannabes — and Frequently Turns on Them — in an Intimate Chronicle of His Theater Experiment". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  13. ↑ "Slauson Rec – Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 18 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  14. ↑ "'Slauson Rec' Director On Shia LaBeouf Cracking Under Pressure Of Running Theater Company". Deadline. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "Feature: Gen AI Creative Pioneers | Lürzer's Archive". 2025-12-04. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  16. ↑ "Feature: AI 2025 | Lürzer's Archive". 2025-12-02. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  17. ↑ Fink, Charlie. "Kartel Launches With $2 Million And Human-Centric AI To Disrupt Media Production". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  18. ↑ "Brave New Worlds: Mixing AI with archive, ethics and innovation". Realscreen. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  19. ↑ "Masters of Scale: Hollywood's hottest AI partner, with Cristóbal Valenzuela". Masters of Scale. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  20. ↑ Fest, AI Intl Film. "AI Intl Film Fest". AI Intl Film Fest. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  21. ↑ Griffiths, Ruby (2025-07-31). "Mockumentary Winner 2025: Matt Zien on Time-Traveling Through 300,000 Years with AI". Meta Morph AI Award. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  22. ↑ Fink, Charlie. "AI Upends Search, A Tidal Wave Of XR Glasses Is Set Crash This Fall". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  23. ↑ ""It's art." People rave about the video created entirely with AI tools". Gamepressure.com. 2025-07-28. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  24. ↑ "Empires of New York". CNBC. 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.