“Beauty is everywhere. Nothing is ordinary once you look at it long enough. The camera is just how I look longer.”
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Producers and directors — reach out and let’s make something.
Get in touchMario Mattei is an award-winning cinematographer and director creating original films, commercials, music videos, and brand content for expressive brands and ad agencies.
He has directed and lensed work for brands including Toyota, the U.S. Army, PGA Golf, Dell, Under Armour, IBM, NULO, and USAA.
His documentary The Gentleman Driver — which he directed and shot — was acquired by Netflix. His feature Water Wars, narrated by Dennis Quaid, won Best Texas Feature at the Dallas International Film Festival and Best Texas Documentary at the Lone Star Film Festival. Mario also co-story created, produced, and shot the female-led Western She Was the Deputy’s Wife, now on Prime Video. As cinematographer for director Barbara FG, he won the 2022 Austin Music Award for Best Music Video for Sir Woman’s “Party City,” and his cinematography on the documentary Beyond Homeless helped carry the film into 21 festivals, with eight wins.
His sci-fi film Time Slot took Best Thriller at the Los Angeles Film Awards; his crime drama Being Thomas (Prime Video) won an Audience Favorite award; and his debut documentary on the Black Sea Turks premiered at the Long Beach International Film Festival. He has also made brand films for non-profits, healthcare providers, alternative-sports, and corporate clients looking to build genuine emotional connection with their audiences.
Whether the work is docu-style, commercial, or narrative — and whether he’s shooting or directing — Mario aims to provoke thought and stir emotion, trusting time-tested storytelling and the idea that a film’s dramatic need should determine its visual language.
Originally from Arizona, his background in creative writing, photography, and design — and years spent living in India and Turkey — shaped his eye. He’s now based in Austin, where he works alongside talented production teams and looks for beauty in the ordinary.
I’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!
Mario went above and beyond in a way I have never experienced in my 10+ years in the film industry. His passion for his craft, flexibility and willingness to make sure our last minute shoot was a success, was fundamentally inspiring.
I produced a national TV spot to air during the Olympics, working alongside Mario as the Director of Photography. He was organized, led his team, reliable, calm under pressure, and made gorgeous images.
Mario is talented, efficient, communicative, professional, and everything else you would want in a DP. Any time I can book him I look forward to the peace of mind his immense skill brings to our productions. Highly recommend!