Film

Captains of Ukraine / Documentary

As the new football season approaches amidst the shadow of a nuclear threat, a professional Ukrainian soccer team faces a controversial choice: trading their shin guards for machine guns. With the war escalating, the team practices for a season that may never come and waits anxiously for a battle that almost certainly will. Captains of Ukraine explores the difficult nether world inhabited by athletes who must become soldiers.

The film, which premiered at the 2023 Tribeca film festival, was created over four months in early 2023 across various locations in Ukraine, with invitations and embeds from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

Captains of Ukraine is the second part of a two-part anthology film that is part of the larger series called "Sports Explains the World" by Meadowlark Media. Meadowlark Media is a new sports media enterprise founded by the former president of ESPN.

Both Captains of Ukraine and War Games are expected to hit streaming in fall of 2023.

The film was directed by Matt Danzico, produced by Oleksiy Oliyar, filmed by Oleg Sologub and Matt Danzico, and edited by Dani Benavides.

War Games / Documentary

In war-torn Ukraine, two young soccer captains, Ivan and Andriy, pick through shrapnel and rubble to play the game they love. Amidst blaring sirens and imminent missile threats, these 12-year-old rivals gear up for an overdue match against each other.

War Games had its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival in New York. The 40-minute documentary is a part of the first season of Sports Explains the World by Meadowlark Media, a new sports media company created by the former president of ESPN.

War Games is the first part of a two-part set within the larger series. It is the first half of a two-part anthology film. The second installment is called Captains of Ukraine. Both films track soccer captains in Ukraine as their lives intersect with war. War Games follows two 12-year-old captains, and Captains of Ukraine follows two professional soccer captains.

The film was directed by Matt Danzico, produced by Oleksiy Oliyar and Jack Losh, filmed by Oleg Sologub and Matt Danzico, and edited by Matt Danzico.

Infodemic Tennessee / News Documentary

In this fiery half-hour documentary for BBC, we journey to the heart of Tennessee and America’s Covid culture wars. As the death toll soared, the doctor in charge of vaccine rollout for the state was fired and the debate over wearing masks in schools turned violent. With support from BBC staff, Danzico Studios explores how the pandemic is changing US politics, from the facts Americans choose to believe to where they want to live.

This innovative current affairs film aired on BBC World, the world’s largest TV channel, as well as BBC News Channel in the UK. A cutdown of the larger documentary was posted online, where it led the BBC’s website as the most-watched piece of programming that day. The full documentary is now available via BBC iPlayer. The film was subsequently adapted by the BBC into a radio documentary for BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service as well as a vertical, social media-friendly documentary.

Matt wrote, presented, filmed and edited the documentary. Annie Phrommayon produced and Shrai Popat served as second camera.

More.

The Monsters on Main Avenue / Experimental Short

Every four years, presidential candidates wander the streets of Scranton, Pennsylvania, visiting residents and using the city as a backdrop as they vie for working-class votes.

But in 2020, an unlikely and otherworldly local is speaking out. The Monsters on Main Avenue is a surrealist short film by Danzico Studios and Matt Danzico, who grew up in Joe Biden’s childhood neighborhood precisely 40 years after the US president.

With a great appreciation for Biden’s appreciation and focus on Scranton, Matt spent the summer of 2020 slinking around the president’s old haunts under moonlight, along with a producer, a detached street sign, and a load of production gear. So pull up a chair and enjoy this playful dispatch, which was filmed with just a small team in the height of the pandemic.

The Monsters on Main Street was a headlining feature for Medium’s homepage on the week leading up to the 2020 election.

&

Video

The Rise Fund / Global NGO, nonprofit

Create two dozen field-based social media videos in countries ranging from Rwanda to Botswana to India in just two months—this was the task. Danzico Studios mobilized quickly to film a slew of incredible projects throughout Africa and Asia, showcasing innovative work in fields ranging from conservation to aviation and medical support. We filmed village-based start-ups creating aerial devices to get life-saving drugs and supplies to rural communities in the jungle to rural farming enterprises flipping the script in far-flung regions in India—all creating positive social and environmental impact.

Our team was tasked with creating a video that would showcase Rise Fund's mission and values, and help to communicate their unique approach to impact investing.

Fine & Raw / Commercial

“You’re going to put someone in a bathtub full of chocolate during a blistering summer heatwave?” Why not. Danzico Studios recently polished off a project for Fine & Raw Chocolate, an infamous chocolate factory and multimedia studio based in Brooklyn, New York. Matt Danzico and Daniel Sklaar, Fine & Raw’s founder, are longtime friends and collaborators. This time, our team was tasked with creating a visually punchy commercial and social content for the unique brand. From the frontlines of Eastern Europe to commercial sets in New York City, we indulge in any shoot that allows us to show off a tad of creativity.

We spent several days on-location at the factory, capturing the magic of the chocolate-making process, and the space, and crafting videos according to their brand voice and aesthetic.