Matt Cipolla

Background

About Matt Cipolla

A graduate of Columbia College Chicago’s Cinema + Television Arts program, I worked in film criticism for a decade, working with RogerEbert.com, The Film Stage, Bright Wall/Dark Room, The Spool, WGN Radio, and more. In addition to writing reviews and essays, I also covered festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, Chicago International Film Festival, and more. In addition, I worked as a Film Editor for The Spool, where I assisted on editorial calendars and managing a team of staff writers, revising their pieces prior to publication. During this time, I was a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association from 2019 to 2025. I also worked with Kino Lorber Studio Classics where I prepared and co-recorded a Blu-Ray commentary track for Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam In addition to film criticism, I am experienced in editing as well as customer-facing work. I have worked at the Music Box Theatre since June 2021, where I balance multiple fast-paced tasks including sales, guest inquiries, phone calls, internal staff logs, and assisting rental clients. I have also assisted in programming screenings for the Theatre. I'm also a screenwriter; one of my features, Mexican Wine, was named a Second Rounder in the 2025 Austin Film Festival out of more than submissions. It also received a 9 on The Black List, which about 0.5 percent of projects have achieved in the history of the platform. Any work that requires attention to detail, a keen sense of logic, and extrapolation I gravitate toward. Whether it deals with research, analytical thinking, writing, or organization, I aim to inject a sense of order and clarity to any project.