Matthias Grunsky

Matthias Grunsky is an Austrian cinematographer. Known for his intimate, unshowy lensing and Chiaroscuro lighting reminiscent 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.
His first feature-length movie as cinematographer was Funny Ha Ha 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, for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography.
In 2019, Grunsky won Best Cinematography at the Midwest Independent Film Festival for the musical film Saints Rest. 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, which was shot remotely under Covid restrictions, Grunsky used iPhone cameras.
2024 he has collaborated with German director Edgar Reitz on "Leibniz- Chronicle of a lost Painting".