Mateo is an Ecuadorian-American writer/ director based in Los Angeles, California. Born and raised in Ecuador, Mateo became passionate about storytelling after living in three different countries during his teenage years.
His early projects consisted of short films and stories exploring his evolving identity as a queer person experiencing newfound liberties and restrictions away from his homeland. Moving to Los Angeles in 2018, Mateo enrolled in Santa Monica College to pursue an Associate's degree in Film Production, before transferring to UCLA's School of Film and Television for his Undergraduate degree on a full scholarship.
In 2020, he founded 'Queer Films Now', an initiative to uplift aspiring LGBTQIA + filmmakers with free workshops and grants. Their "Mobile Filmmaking Masterclass" was a great success, with over 15 short film submissions and sponsorship support from companies like LumaTouch, Filmic Inc, Moondog Labs and Final Draft Inc. Starting in 2021, he embarked on various crowdfunded trips to South America to seek stories for his documentary 'Queer Diaries' while simultaneously breaking into the industry in Los Angeles, working on film productions of all sizes.
In 2023, Mateo was chosen to partake in the Television Academy's Internship Program, joining Bunim-Murray Productions to work with their development team and receive mentorship for his documentary work. Later that year, Mateo launched 'Mindo Laboratories,' a production company focused on visual projects that celebrate otherness, with projects like "Algun Día" and "IDK" receiving grants worth over $50,000 USD for production.
Most recently, Mateo directed his first commercial for Apple/Beats by Dre with NCAA basketball athlete Kiki Rice. His project "Pray Away" was chosen by UCLA Faculty for submission to the 2024 Student BAFTA Awards and the Student Academy Awards.