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Matthew Bonifacio
A doggedly independent and self-educated filmmaker, writer-producer-director Matthew Bonifacio chronicled the personal lives of the working class in his native New York through such festival favorites as "Lbs." (2004) and "Amexicano" (2007). Bonifacio's heroes struggled to find their place in the city, whether through reinvention, romance or expanded horizons; their journeys were charted in less "cinematic" terms than major features, but proved none the less captivating to audiences, who made his films hits on the indie circuit. A John Cassavetes Award nomination for "Lbs" in 2010 cemented his status as one of the fastest rising figures on the arthouse and cutting-edge scenes.