Mathivanan Rajendran is a multifaceted individual, exceling as a producer, actor, and program director, with a BAFTA Breakthrough Honoree title and EAVE alumnus distinction to his credit.
As a film producer, he has created movies that have been showcased at renowned global festivals, addressing pressing social issues. One of his notable works is the feature film Nasir (2020),which competed for the Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and won the FIPRESCI Grand Prix for Best Indian Film and the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film. The film also received recognition at other prominent festivals, including MoMA's New Directors/New Films, the American Film Institute, and the Andrei Tarkovsky Zerkalo Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix.
Additionally, Mathivanan's credits include Nirvana Inn (2019),a psychological drama supported by the Asian Cinema Fund, which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival.
His work often focuses on crucial themes such as gender, technology, and ecology. For instance, B.Selvi & Daughters, supported by GIZ, earned two Critics' Choice Award nominations for its emphasis on women's empowerment. Taak, exploring surveillance and patriarchy, premiered at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Humans in the Loop, which tackles diversity in tech and AI, was recognized at MAMI and IFFK, receiving a Gender Sensitivity nomination.
In the realm of theater, Mathivanan founded and led the Chennai-based Stray Factory, known for its innovative devised and physical productions. The company later transitioned into digital storytelling with works like the web series Black Sheep.
As the Program Director of Storiculture's Media Accelerator, Mathivanan oversees projects focused on ecology, responsible technology, and gender, supporting creators in producing work with measurable impact.
Mathivanan is also an alumnus of Virginia Tech.
