Praise for Nina Gilden Seavey and Stephen Higgins’ The Matador:

"A thrilling look at Spain’s most passionate art. OLE!”

Jeffrey Lyons, ReelTV/NBC

“…high-definition sparkle and artful precision…”

Austin American Statesman

“…a dance of beauty and blood…”

The Brownsville Herald

“…one of the best [films] of this early year. Gorgeously photographed, tightly edited and featuring an impressive score…”

AJ Schnack, All These Wonderful Things

“…terrific and brilliantly produced…it’s fabulous.”

Jaman.com

March 19, 2008
NINA GILDEN SEAVEY AND STEPHEN HIGGINS’
NEW FILM THE MATADOR WORLD PREMIERES
AT SXSW TO CRITICAL ACCLAIM
FILM PREMIERES IN DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
“A thrilling look at Spain’s most passionate art. OLE!”—Jeffrey Lyons, NBC/Reel Talk
“…high-definition sparkle and artful precision…”—Austin American-Statesman
Highlighted in festival previews by The Hollywood Reporter and indieWIRE, Nina Gilden Seavey and Stephen Higgins’ new film The Matador world premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in Documentary Competition to widespread acclaim. The Matador was shot in high-definition over the course of three years and follows David Fandila’s journey throughout Spain and Latin America in a quest to become the world’s top-ranked bullfighter.
Nicknamed “El Fandi,” Fandila struggles to secure his place in the pantheon of Spain’s greatest bullfighters. Sacrificing his youth in the process, Fandila is confronted by those who question the present-day validity of this ancient and brutal ritual. Heartbreaking setbacks follow thrilling successes as “El Fandi” reveals why bullfighting is called “the most dramatic profession on earth.” More than one man’s quest for greatness, The Matador is a story of love—of a son for his father, of audiences for their heroes, of a people for a passionate and violent ritual and of the bullfighter’s paradoxical love for the beast that he must kill to create his art.
Of the film, Seavey says, “To me, The Matador is about artistry—about David’s commitment and passion for his craft. In the creation of the film, we mirrored that artistry in the cinematography, the editing and in the orchestral score such that both the story line and the filmmaking provide an intense, exciting and sometimes explosive experience for the audience.” Higgins adds, “In David, we were fortunate to have the trust of one of the world’s best matadors. David and his family let us into this world to tell a story of hope, pain, sacrifice and triumph that otherwise would have been impossible to share.”
The Matador is produced by Nina Gilden Seavey and Stephen Higgins. Higgins directed and Seavey co-directed the film. Scott Dunklee and Kristie Nova are the executive producers for the film. Christopher Jenkins and James Morton-Haworth are the directors of photography, Ian Rummer served as editor, and John Califra composed and orchestrated the film’s score.

Nina Gilden Seavey is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and a 25-year veteran of the documentary world. Seavey earned recent critical acclaim for her 2004 film The Ballad of Bering Strait, which received an Emmy nomination for Best Director and won the Audience Award at the Washington International Film Festival. She is the founder and director of The Documentary Center at The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. She is also the Founding Director of SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival.

Stephen Higgins is a California based photographer. His work has been exhibited in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He has shot commercially for clients including the New York Times Co., Japan Air Lines, Target Corp. and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Higgins studied photography at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

    February 6, 2008
NINA GILDEN SEAVEY AND STEPHEN HIGGINS’
NEW FILM THE MATADOR WORLD PREMIERES
AT SXSW FILM FESTIVAL
FILM PREMIERES IN DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Already highlighted in festival previews by The Hollywood Reporter and indieWIRE, Nina Gilden Seavey and Stephen Higgins’ new film The Matador will world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Documentary Competition. Shot in high-definition over the course of three years, The Matador follows David Fandila’s journey throughout Spain and Latin American in a quest to become the world’s top-ranked bullfighter. Festival screening dates/times to be announced.
Nicknamed “El Fandi,” Fandila struggles to secure his place in the pantheon of Spain’s greatest bullfighters. Sacrificing his youth in the process, Fandila is confronted by those who question the present-day validity of this ancient and brutal ritual. Heartbreaking setbacks follow thrilling successes as “El Fandi” reveals why bullfighting is called “the most dramatic profession on earth.” More than one man’s quest for greatness, The Matador is a story of love—of a son for his father, of audiences for their heroes, of a people for a passionate and violent ritual and of the bullfighter’s paradoxical love for the beast that he must kill to create his art.
Of the film, Seavey says, “To me, The Matador is about artistry—about David’s commitment and passion for his craft. In the creation of the film, we mirrored that artistry in the cinematography, the editing and in the orchestral score such that both the story line and the filmmaking provide an intense, exciting and sometimes explosive experience for the audience.” Higgins adds, “In David, we were fortunate to have the trust of one of the world’s best matadors. David and his family let us into this world to tell a story of hope, pain, sacrifice and triumph that otherwise would have been impossible to share.”
The Matador is produced by Nina Gilden Seavey and Stephen Higgins. Higgins and Seavey also directed the film. Scott Dunklee and Kristie Nova are the executive producers for the film. Christopher Jenkins and James Morton-Haworth are the directors of photography and John Califra provides the film’s score. For more information, please visit www.matadorthefilm.com.
Nina Gilden Seavey is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and a 25-year veteran of the documentary world. Seavey earned recent critical acclaim for her 2004 film The Ballad of Bering Strait, which received an Emmy nomination for Best Director and won the Audience Award at the Washington International Film Festival. She is the founder and director of The Documentary Center at The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. She also has served as Festival Director, Executive Producer, and Programmer for SILVERDOCS: The AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival.
Stephen Higgins is a California based photographer. His work has been exhibited in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He has shot commercially for clients including the New York Times Co., Japan Air Lines, Target Corp. and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Higgins studied photography at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Higgins’ photography can be seen at www.stephenh.com.
For more information, please contact Carla Sacks or Ross Clark at Sacks & Co.,
212.741.1000, carla@sacksco.com or ross@sacksco.com.

For more information, please contact Carla Sacks or Ross Clark at Sacks & Co.,
carla@sacksco.com or ross@sacksco.com, 212.741.1000.