Freddy Macdonald Explained

Freddy Macdonald
Birth Place:Santa Monica, California
Alma Mater:American Film Institute
Occupation:film director, screenwriter, editor
Nationality:American, Swiss
Years Active:2016–present

Freddy Macdonald (born 2000) is a US-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and editor. He is the youngest directing fellow ever accepted to the American Film Institute. His critically acclaimed feature film debut Sew Torn premiered at South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2024.[1]

Life and career

Freddy Macdonald was born in Santa Monica, California.[2] Macdonald's six-minute short film Sew Torn, which he made as part of his application for film school in 2019, was acquired by Searchlight Pictures and qualified for an Academy Award after a theatrical release nationwide alongside Ready or Not.[3] [4] [5] That same year, he was accepted to the American Film Institute, becoming the youngest directing fellow ever accepted to the Conservatory.[2] [6] His AFI graduating thesis film Shedding Angels won a Student Academy Award.[7]

The world premiere of his first feature-length film Sew Torn, which he also edited and co-wrote with his father Fred Macdonald, took place at South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2024.[1] [4] The feature is an expansion of the short film of the same name.[8]

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterEditor
2016Gifted: Thanksgiving Post Mortem (short film)
2017The Father of Art (short film)
2018The Coachmen (short film)
2019I'm Good (short film)
2019Sew Torn (short film)
2022Shedding Angels (short film)
2024Sew Torn (feature film)

Accolades

Year Award Category Title Result Ref.
2022Student Academy AwardsNarrative ShortShedding Angels[9]
2024South By Southwest Film FestivalVisionsSew Torn
2024Locarno Film FestivalPiazza GrandeSew Torn[10]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Sew Torn at SXSW 2024 In: sxsw.com. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  2. Freddy Macdonald. In: swissfilms.ch. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  3. Web site: Sew Torn - Sebastian Klinger. sebklinger.com. May 3, 2024.
  4. Tracy Palmer: SXSW 2024 Sew Torn Interview – Director Freddy MacDonald Explains His Incredible Vision, His Amazing Stars, And That Mettler Thread. In: signalhorizon.com. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  5. Freddy Macdonald. In: sxsw.com. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  6. Freddy Macdonald. Directing 2021. In: afi.com. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  7. Student Academy Awards Provide 'Momentum' for Young Filmmakers. In: voanews.com. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  8. Brian Davids: Meet Freddy Macdonald, the 23-Year-Old ‘Sew Torn’ Filmmaker Who Dazzled SXSW In: The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  9. https://press.oscars.org/news/medalists-revealed-2022-student-academy-awardsr Medalists revealed at 2022 Student Academy Awards®
  10. Sew Torn at Locarno Film Festival In: locarnofestival.ch. Retrieved July 11, 2024.