Matt Hals is a writer/director and sometimes-producer living in Los Angeles, California. He has been involved in various aspects of the independent film industry since 1998, with periodic forays into the world of commercial and music video production since his move to Los Angeles at the end of 2001.

Eschewing film school for a more hands-on education, Hals has worked his way up from Gofer-style jobs on micro-budget films to Production Coordination on big budget music videos and commercials and worked his way back down to write, produce, and direct his own low-budget projects.

Beginning in the documentary genre, Hals wrote, produced, and directed "American Darts" in 2000. This short subject digital documentary follows the path of two dart players from their casual weekly league-nights to the high-pressure competition of the North American Open Darts Tournament offering an insightful and humorous tableau of the culture surrounding the sport of darts in America.

In late 2001, after a yearlong residence in Santa Cruz, California, Hals formed Fake Film, a production company exploiting the availability of digital formats, in order to produce "Trannies!", a feature length surf-comedy loosely based on experiences in the northern California beach town. Writing and fundraising began in earnest in December of 2001, pre-production ran from February through June of 2002, the movie shot for 26 days in July and August, and post-production lasted over a year. The film premiered in Santa Cruz on August 15, 2003. "Trannies!" will embark on the arduous festival circuit in early 2004.

During "Trannies!" long post-production schedule, Hals was tapped to co-write and direct the short film "Encounter" for Amerigo Film. Shot on Super16 as opposed to video, "Encounter" marks Hals's first foray into the world of "film".

Hals has shot his own films on location in Seattle, Washington; Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz, California; and Las Vegas, Nevada. He is currently at work on two screenplays.

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