Mat Whitecross

Mat Whitecross, born on 21st September 1977, is a renowned English film director, editor, and screenwriter. Whitecross initiated his career working alongside filmmaker Michael Winterbottom and producer Andrew Eaton at Revolution Films. He is recognized for his remarkable directorial contributions such as The Road to Guantánamo, Ian Dury biopic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, and music documentaries like Oasis: Supersonic, and Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams. Moreover, Whitecross has a commendable talent in directing music videos for preeminent bands such as Coldplay, Take That, and The Rolling Stones, with Coldplay being a long-time collaborator.

Whitecross hails from Oxford, and his parents were political refugees who were incarcerated in Argentina during its notorious Dirty War. His creative ventures take inspiration from his upbringing and from tales of his parents' friends, many of whom are South American immigrants that escaped torturous circumstances and prison. His proficiency earned him opportunities to shoot and edit for Revolution Films, just a few months after he started working as a runner on the film 24 Hour Party People. His career breakthrough was co-directing and co-writing The Road to Guantánamo with Winterbottom, featuring Riz Ahmed in his debut acting role. This film won major accolades including the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature.