I shoot and direct films, commercials, and brand stories for production companies and agencies in Texas and beyond.
Mario Mattei is an award-winning cinematographer and director based in Austin, Texas, making original films, commercials, and creative content for expressive brands and ad agencies.
For the producers and directors who bring me on, I aim to be a department leader, a creative partner, and a logistical asset on set — a “lynchpin DP” who stays a solutionist and adaptable when the day gets hard. I’m invested in the win, because good work leads to more work.
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“Beauty is everywhere. Nothing is ordinary once you look at it long enough. The camera is just how I look longer.”
Mario has directed and lensed work for brands including Toyota, the U.S. Army, PGA Golf, Dell, IBM, NULO, and USAA. His documentary The Gentleman Driver was acquired by Netflix; his feature Water Wars, narrated by Dennis Quaid, won Best Texas Feature at the Dallas International Film Festival.
Originally from Arizona, Mario’s path through creative writing, photography, and years living in India and Turkey shaped his eye as a Director of Photography. Now Austin-based, he shoots and directs with a belief that a film’s dramatic need determines its visual language.
Read full bioI’ve worked with Mattei Visuals on a National TV commercial that I recently directed. I cannot recommend him more. Mario is talented, very creative, diligent, and prepared. He had a deep understanding of the emotion the story required and took what I had on paper to the next level. Above all, he has a team-player attitude and a collaborative spirit. I absolutely will hire Mattei Visuals again for my next project. He’s earned every bit of 5 stars.
I’ve known and worked with Mario for about 10 years, and I always enjoy the collaboration. He’s creative, has a great eye, and is fun to be with on and off set. Total pro.
I hired Mattei Visuals for a documentary film shoot and couldn’t have been more pleased. Mario took care of everything, answered my questions, pointed me in the right direction and created a seamless shoot. I was very pleased with the results. Highly recommend!