Oscar-nominated filmmaker
award-winning writer
storyteller / philosopher
creative director
“history by a master storyteller”
“turns familiar tales completely on their heads”
“seriously brilliant mind”
“the history we should have been taught”
“a necessity especially now”
“delivers with clarity and calmness”
“more than impressive”
“I find myself listening more than once”
“absolutely thought-provoking”
“a must listen”
american origin stories
top-30 apple podcast
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
The First American Bank Robbery
The Ghost Who Wrote the Constitution
The 4-foot David vs the Goliath of Slavery
The Most Interesting Man in the World
The Tyrant George Washington vs the Hero Daniel Shays
(How the Constitution Stopped the Revolution)
#1 Highest Rated Documentary of All Time on Rotten Tomatoes
Oscar-Nominated Doc Producer
Films on HBO, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu
Best-Writing Awards
Over 100 Critics’ “Best-of” Lists
Numerous Festival Awards
documentaries
award-winning
FILM HIGHLIGHTS:
How to Make Money Selling Drugs
(Eminem, 50 cent)
Deliver Us From Evil
(Oscar-nominated, Highest Rated Doc on Rotten Tomatoes)
Bernie in Brooklyn
(with Mark Ruffalo)
A worldwide audience for his viral docu-essays and talks (over 275M views)
Guest host for Larry King’s PoliticKING on HULU
The most influential content of the Bernie 2016 presidential campaign
A formative part of social media culture since 2015
social media talks
OVER 275M VIEWS
Cooke’s science fiction writing has been developed by X-Men / Wolverine producers and Amazon Studios.
His screenplay FUTURE PERFECT is currently being developed as a sci fi podcast series.
SCIENCE FICTION
A COMEDY SERIES — STARRING HUSBAND & WIFE TEAM, MATTHEW COOKE & APRIL BOWLBY
About April Bowlby
She stars as Rita Farr in the HBO MAX hit show, “Doom Patrol” and “Titans.” She played “Kandi” on “Two and a Half Men” & Stacy Barrett on “Drop Dead Diva.” And co-starred in top-10 Netflix film “Father Christmas is Back” with John Cleese & Kelsey Grammer.
CYBERWORLD DESIGN
In the late 1990’s, Cooke was a creative director for Capitol Records.
In 1999 he pioneered the first single-field search engine (before Google), which earned a Best-of-the-Web Award from Print Magazine and a partnership with Intel, Time-Warner, and AOL.
He taught digital arts at Otis College of Design before transitioning to filmmaking, and holds a patent in how to organize digital content delivery.
Cooke still creates most of the special effects and motion graphics in his films and shorts.
music & sound
Cooke has been playing guitar and drums since he was 13. He was the bass player in the 80s Chicago hardcore band “Angerhouse” with Erik Funk and Patrick Costello who later formed the Minneapolis pop-punk group “Dillinger Four,” featured in Survivors Guide to Prison.
He sound-designs and scores most of his work, and is developing a kung fu musical. No, seriously. Let’s do this.
ROOTS
Born in Washington, D.C.
Son of writer / urban development consultant Stuart Cooke and musician-turned-creative producer Marcella Cooke.
Went to Evanston Township High School in Evanston, IL, the alma mater of Ajay Naidu, John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Jeremy Piven, Seth Meyers, Michael Madsen, and Liz Phair.
Graduate of Pitzer College in Claremont, CA with a BA in Film Studies, magna cum laude.
Married to April Bowlby Cooke. Living in Los Angeles since 1994. Now with child. And dog.