Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
Visionary filmmaker Carlos Vargas Matiz has built a lasting legacy through an inspiring journey that speaks to his resilience, skill, and passion. Defying the odds, Matiz’s exceptional contributions to the realms of editing, photography, and cinematography firmly establish him as a standout in the industry.
Born in Bogota, Colombia, Matiz became an international talent driven by a passion for crafting compelling narratives that resonate with audiences’ hearts, minds, and souls. A distinguished alumnus of the United Kingdom’s Leeds Beckett University, Matiz earned a Master of Arts in Filmmaking and used his cinematic knowledge to burst onto the film scene.
Collaborating with numerous well-known brands, Matiz has made invaluable creative contributions to the industry with remarkable commercial success. The seasoned filmmaker has mastered the art of using lighting to capture profound emotions in the diverse array of short films, commercials, documentaries, and photography projects he has been involved in.
Matiz’s decade-long career as an editor, photographer, and cinematographer has garnered global acclaim. Notable milestones include a scholarship to the renowned New York Film Academy South Beach, official selections in festivals as a director, editor, and cinematographer, his photography featured in Colombian magazines, along with receiving the Silver Telly Award.
Matiz made significant contributions as a camera operator, editor, and photographer with Avianca Airlines. His most exciting projects included coverage of Pope Francis in Panama, crafting videos and photographs for the Vatican’s magazine. Providing international coverage, Matiz has applied his vision to projects in Ecuador, Jamaica, and Colombia. His list of accomplishments extends to creating video and photo coverage for Ecuador in Galapagos and serving as the editor and director for Jamaica Speed Secrets Kingston, a video documentary on some of Jamaica’s speediest athletes. Matiz also provided coverage for Barranquilla, Colombia of Baseball, through both video and photos for the magazine.
Well-recognized and acclaimed within the press and festival circuit, Matiz’s camera operation and editing on the project MVBR Belize Adventure made him the Telly Awards Silver Winner in 2023, and the short films he directed received official selection by organizations including Lift-Off Global Network, FilmGate Short Film Festival, and Golden Bridge Istanbul Short Film Festival. Matiz’s award-winning documentary, Amoka, highlighted the journey and duality of indigenous youth and was named the Gold Award Winner at the 2018 Spotlight Documentary Film Awards.
Already having built an impressive filmmaking legacy, Matiz maintains an ambitious and resolute outlook, envisioning future roles as a director, writer, editor, and cinematographer in major budget films and establishing himself as a powerhouse photographer.
In the fiercely competitive landscape of the film industry, Matiz encountered the daunting challenge of standing out and sustaining a reliable livelihood from his aspirations in film production and photography. Another initial obstacle was the language barrier, which Matiz worried would lead to potential misunderstandings as the film industry is predominantly English-based. He overcame these challenges through discipline and perseverance, transforming his dream into a career and demonstrating that the universal medium of film is a language that unites us all through the power of imagery, lighting, color, and narrative.
Similar to many creative individuals, Matiz also wrestled with the fear of failure. However, with relentless determination, he now lives out his aspirations, achieving the very successes he once deemed unattainable, collaborating with brands he had never envisioned the possibility of working with.
At the core of Matiz’s achievements lies an unwavering faith. Throughout his journey, he has come to understand that leaps of faith are crucial to achieving your goals. For Matiz, the safety net provided by a higher power ensures that he will emerge unscathed, even in the face of challenges. There is a specific photograph Matiz captured that vividly encapsulates his concept of faith and left an unforgettable impact on his journey. During his time in a decent government job that did not align with his passion, Matiz recalls photographing two young men joyfully leaping off a pier. The radiant happiness within the image compelled him to embrace his faith and pursue his filmmaking dream wholeheartedly.
Following the tug of faith ignited by that pier-side photograph, Carlos Vargas Matiz has since made a significant splash in the film industry, with more inspiring accomplishments to come.
