Directing
Mat Hames
Mat Hames is a director and producer, known for his documentaries What Was Ours (2017), When I Rise (2010), both of which were included in the TV series Independent Lens. His films have screened at SXSW, HotDocs, IDFA, and the Santa Barbara Film Festival. When I Rise (2010) was nominated for an IDA Award. Hames is the show runner for Rooster Teeth's documentary series RTDocs, the PBS/ Prime series…
Known For
A Life Outside: American Mountain Guides · 2026A Life Outside: American Mountain Guides
★ 10.02026
MovieDocumentary
A gripping look at mountain guiding and its deep roots in the legacy of Paul Petzoldt — founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School and North America’s oldest guide service, Exum. The film weaves the story of a modern climb gone wrong with the life of Petzoldt, a pioneer who scaled K2, set records on the Matterhorn, trained soldiers to fight Nazis in the Alps, and defined adventure itself. Featuring today’s mountain guides alongside rare archival footage and breathtaking cinematography from Wyoming and France, this feature-length documentary explores risk, grit, mentorship, and the enduring call of the mountains.
Haus of Pain · 2017Haus of Pain
★ 6.52017
MovieDocumentary
A professional gamer teams up with a coworker to fulfil his childhood dream of becoming a pro-wrestler.
The Meme Machine · 2016The Meme Machine
★ 6.02016
MovieDocumentary
An exploration of the origins of memes, how they spread, and the stories behind some of the most popular “human memes” like Ermahgerd Girl, Overly Attached Girlfriend, and Chocolate Rain Guy.
Why We’re Here: 15 Years of Rooster Teeth · 2018Why We’re Here: 15 Years of Rooster Teeth
★ 8.62018
MovieDocumentary
The founders and media personalities of Rooster Teeth reflect on their history, growth and fandom throughout the years.
The World's Greatest Head Massage: An ASMR Journey · 2016The World's Greatest Head Massage: An ASMR Journey
★ 6.72016
MovieDocumentary
Two men fly to India to search for Baba, the "Cosmic Barber of Pushkar," whose famous "World's Greatest Head Massage" videos gave them both tingling ASMR sensations.
Becoming Jessica Nigri · 2018Becoming Jessica Nigri
★ 6.52018
MovieDocumentary
A portrait of cosplayer Jessica Nigri, from a magical childhood growing up with quirky parents in New Zealand, to entering middle school in the U.S. where she was mercilessly teased for her "nerdy" interests.
Waiting for the Punchline · 2019Waiting for the Punchline
★ 8.02019
MovieDocumentary
A Rooster Teeth documentary by Mat Hames following podcaster Nick Scarpino as he works to reinvent himself as a standup comedian working comedy clubs in San Francisco.
What Was Ours · 2016What Was Ours
2016
MovieDocumentary
Like millions of indigenous people, many Native American tribes do not control their own material history and culture. For the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes living on the isolated Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, new contact with lost artifacts risks opening old wounds but also offers the possibility for healing. What Was Ours is the story of how a young journalist and a teenage powwow princess, both of the Arapaho tribe, travelled together with a Shoshone elder in search of missing artifacts in the vast archives of Chicago’s Field Museum. There they discover a treasure trove of ancestral objects, setting them on a journey to recover what has been lost and build hope for the future.
Filmography
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