Matthias Grunsky (born August 15, 1971) is an Austrian cinematographer. Known for his intimate, unshowy lensing and Chiaroscuro lighting reminiscent of Rembrandt and Georges de La Tour, Grunsky first gained recognition for his contributions to US independent cinema through his acclaimed collaborations with Andrew Bujalski.
Life and work Grunsky began his career as a camera assistant in Austria and Germany, where he learnt from cinematographers such as Lee Daniel on Before Sunrise (1995).
His first feature-length movie as cinematographer was Funny Ha Ha (2002) for director Andrew Bujalski, with whom he continued to work on his following films. Grunsky used black and white video cameras with video camera tubes for the comedy drama film Computer Chess (2013), for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography.Independent Spirit Awards 2014
In 2019, Grunsky won Best Cinematography at the Midwest Independent Film Festival for the musical film Saints Rest (2019). That same year, he also won Best Cinematography at the History Film Fest for the television film Defiance. Three Women and the Vote. For the romantic comedy film There There (2022), which was shot remotely under Covid restrictions, Grunsky used iPhone cameras. In 2024, he collaborated with German director Edgar Reitz on "" (2025), which premiered at the Berlinale 2025.September 2025|website=berlinale.de |
Alongside his cinematography, Grunsky develops his own films and installations with filmmaker Angela Bedekovic.February 2026|website=searchdilm.de | Their three-screen video installation TOURIST received the Grand Prix for Media Art at the 31st Split Film Festival in 2026.September 2026|website=portal.hr |
Selected filmography YearFilmDirectorOther notes2002Funny Ha HaAndrew Bujalski 2005Mutual AppreciationAndrew Bujalski2007American ZombieGrace Lee2008Nights and WeekendsJoe Swanberg & Greta Gerwig 2009Sorry, ThanksDia Sokol SavageBeeswaxAndrew Bujalski2013Man without a HeadJohnny Roc Computer ChessAndrew BujalskiNominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best CinematographyA Livre OuvertStéphanie Chuat & Véronique ReymondTV series (season 1) - RTS/ France 22015ResultsAndrew Bujalski2016Infinity BabyBob ByingtonSaints RestNoga AshkenaziBest Cinematography – Midwest Independent Film Festival 2019 2017The Honor FarmKaren Skloss 2018Support the GirlsAndrew Bujalski 2019Defiance. Three Women and the VoteBeate ThalbergBest Cinematography – History Film Fest 20192020MarleneAndreas Resch 2021Tales of FranzJohannes Schmid 2022Bad Things in the Middle of NowhereGarry Walsh 2022New Tales of FranzJohannes Schmid 2022There ThereAndrew Bujalski 2025Edgar Reitz
References
External links
Matthias Grunsky's website Filmmaker Magazine: Matthias Grunsky about shooting RESULTS New York Times: In THERE THERE the Actors in the Room Are Far Far From Each Other