Matthew A. Cherry (born December 14,[1] 1981)[2][3] is an American film director, writer, producer, and former American football player. He wrote and directed two independent films, The Last Fall (2012), and 9 Rides (2016). He is best known for the 2019 Academy Award-winning animated short film, Hair Love. The Kickstarter campaign for Hair Love raised nearly $300,000 and broke the record for the highest amount raised for any short film on the platform.[4][5][6]
Cherry played college football for four seasons with the Akron Zips under head coach Lee Owens and was a second-team All-Mid-American Conference wide receiver.[10] He finished his career as the all-time leading receiver in school history[11] and ended his senior season with records for total receptions,[12] yards, touchdowns, punt return yards and punt return touchdowns.[citation needed]
Cherry was waived by the Bengals during final roster cuts on August 29, 2005.[18] He worked out for the Ottawa Renegades of the Canadian Football League on September 9, 2005,[19] but left the team by September 21 without having played in a game. The Renegades franchise folded shortly after due to financial instability.[20]
Cherry signed with the Carolina Panthers in 2006, and was allocated to the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europe. He was waived by Hamburg during final roster cuts on March 5, 2006.[21] He returned to the Panthers, but was waived on May 30, 2006. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens on August 3, 2006.[22] He was placed on injured reserve on August 30, 2006, and missed the entire season.[23]
Film career
Career beginnings
Cherry retired from football in 2007 to pursue a film career.[24] After initially working as a production assistant he began directing music videos. He directed the video for gospel song "Say Yes" by singer Michelle Williams.[24]
Cherry wrote and directed his first film, The Last Fall, in 2012. The film stars Lance Gross and Nicole Beharie. The film, which premiered at SXSW, received average critical reviews.[24] Peter Deburge of Variety described The Last Fall as a "tepid daytime-TV melodrama."[6] Gary Goldstein wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "this is an involving, sympathetic film unafraid to wear its sizable heart on its sleeve."[5] It won Best Screenplay at the American Black Film Festival.
His second film, 9 Rides, was shot entirely on an iPhone 6s, which may be the first feature film shot using the device.[25] Starring Dorian Missick, it premiered at SXSW in 2016.[26] Tom Harrington of The Daily Dot called it "a taut, attractive piece of work."[25] Shannon M. Houston reviewed the film for Paste and wrote, "9Rides is proof that Cherry is a storyteller who can do quite a bit with a modest budget (this is the first film shot on an iPhone 6s) and a simple premise."[27]
In 2017, Cherry created a Kickstarter campaign for a short animated film called Hair Love.[4] The campaign surpassed its initial goal of $75,000 and raised nearly $300,000.[4] He co-directed the film with Everett Downing and Bruce W. Smith, with Peter Ramsey and Pixar animator Frank Abney serving as executive producers.[28] On March 20, 2019, Sony Pictures Animation announced that they had picked up Hair Love, which was released in theaters alongside The Angry Birds Movie 2 on August 14, 2019.[29] The film won the 2020 Academy Award for Best Animated Short, with Cherry accepting the award alongside fellow producer Karen Rupert Toliver.[30]
^Hensley, Jamison and Edward Lee (August 3, 2006). "Hamstring still slows Clayton". BaltimoreRavens.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
^"Transactions". Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. August 30, 2006. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
^"Academy Invites 819 to Membership" (Press release). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. June 30, 2020. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
