For almost twenty years, Matt Piedmont has been breaking comedic ground as a film director and writer.
Piedmont got his start in entertainment writing for the legendary sketch comedy showcase Saturday Night Live – a job he landed at the age of 25. From 1996 to 2002, Piedmont wrote on over 100 episodes, won an Emmy for “Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program,” and developed working relationships with A-list actors who have since been featured in his own projects, including Will Ferrell.
Following his success on SNL, Piedmont wrote and directed a number of award-winning web series and short films. The Carpet Brothers, which began as a web series starring David Spade and Tim Meadows, was later featured on HBO as a short film co-starring Will Ferrell. Piedmont went on to direct segments for Zach Galifianakis’ Funny or Die Presents…, In 2011, his short film Brick Novax’s Diary won the U.S. Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival.
The following year, Piedmont reached a pinnacle moment in his career with the direction of his first feature film, Casa De Mi Padre, starring Will Ferrell, Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal ,and Nick Offerman. He was even named one of Variety’s “10 Directors to Watch.”
He also co-wrote and directed the star-studded mini-series The Spoils of Babylon for IFC. The featured actors include Kristen Wiig, Tobey Maguire, Michael K. Williams, Carey Mulligan, Jessica Alba, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Sheen, Tim Robbins, Val Kilmer and Ferrell (in two roles). The show went on to be nominated for two Emmys, including “Best Theme Song,” which Piedmont co-wrote, and a SAG award for Kristen Wiig. The series was followed up by The Spoils Before Dying.
In addition to his successes in film and television, Piedmont has quickly established himself as a comedic force in the commercial world. He has directed both television and digital campaigns for global brands including Lincoln, Microsoft, Bud Light, Pepsi, AT&T, 7-Up, Orbit, VW, Triscuit, Taco Bell, Old Navy (which featured several SNL alumni), Capital One, and Gain. His pre-diabetes PSA for Ad Council was awarded a Bronze PR Lion at the 2016 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, while his Seventh-Generation campaign (featuring Maya Rudolph) took home a Bronze 2017 One Show award. Piedmont also spearheaded SunLife Insurance’s groundbreaking spot “Life After 50,” which garnered critical acclaim due to its refreshing defiance of age stereotypes.
In November 2018, Piedmont directed a six-episode campaign for the international clothing retailer H&M, starring Parks and Recreation star Aubrey Plaza and electro-soul singer Moses Sumney. Throughout 2019 – 2020, Piedmont went back to his sketch comedy roots in the IFC variety series Sherman’s Showcase, directing all eight episodes of the musical/comedy/variety show. Currently, Piedmont is active in the commercial space, having recently completed spots for Smirnoff Seltzer and Pandora.
