Photo by Daniel Terna
Matthew Greeley Rivas is a filmmaker and fifth-generation New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn, and the son of a Nicaraguan immigrant. He draws on New York City's layered history and his own family legacy as an emerging current in his work.
He earned a BFA in Film and Video from CalArts in 2010 and has spent over a decade working across branded content, commercial, documentary, and narrative. After sharpening his editorial voice at Starworks Group, he became a Video Producer and Editor at Condé Nast, traveling globally to create branded content for Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, and other leading titles. Known for bold, high-energy "sizzle" films, his work bridges narrative propulsion with cultural texture.
In 2020, he founded RAZOR SOFT, a full-service production company behind Clio Award-winning campaigns in advertising.
In 2022, he completed two years of Meisner training at the William Esper Studio, deepening his understanding of character and dramatic structure.
In 2026, his documentary debut, BRAIN FEVER — an investigation into the life and mysterious death of 19th-century journalist and presidential candidate Horace Greeley — was featured in The New York Times and selected for the Festival Napoléon in Paris and the Berlin Indie Film Festival, with its festival run ongoing.
