Table of Contents
Three Key Takeaways
- A deeply personal story transformed into a fresh take on the ghost genre.
- Overcoming logistical and creative challenges through grit, collaboration, and unwavering belief.
- A filmmaker’s journey from self-doubt to confident storytelling, inspired by genre classics and personal experience.
Matthew Scheffler, a two-time Peabody Award winner and former producer on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, debuts as director with The Traveler, a haunting tale of grief and terror set in a remote Victorian farmhouse.
Supported by a talented crew including award-winning DP Fletcher Wolfe and producers Meghan-Michele German and Matt Ruscio, the film delivers a fresh spin on supernatural storytelling.
Recently selected for FilmQuest 2025, The Traveler is already stirring conversation among genre aficionados.
What drew you to make The Traveler? Why this story, and why now?
This is a story that has lived with me since I was a child. Growing up, I was haunted by a paranormal presence. When I later told my family, my mother said that as a toddler, I would come into her room late at night and tell her about the woman sitting on the foot of my bed. The idea behind this film became a coping method that stayed with me for a long time, and when I finally decided to make my own film, this story poured out.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time—creatively or logistically? Was there a moment on set or in post that completely changed how you saw the story?
When we set out to make The Traveler, no one believed we could. A Victorian set film shot in New York City with over 60 VFX shots and a shoestring budget just didn’t seem realistic. Making it, though, I was astonished by how much talented artists were willing to give their time and expertise. When sound designers were coming in $20k over budget, we received help from one of the companies behind The Boy and the Heron, who offered to moonlight the project pro bono because they believed in what we were trying to achieve. When we needed to delay exteriors three months, the entire crew rallied with us. When we needed to film pyrotechnics, our DP gave up her Easter weekend to capture them. This film was made through grit, hustle, determination, and lots and lots of love.
Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you—something only you could have made?
The Traveler is meant to take audiences on a journey that feels new and unexpected. It’s a fresh take on the ghost genre and includes a midpoint turn that is uniquely from my brain. It’s my attempt to make something akin to The Others, which is a film that inspired me to become a filmmaker.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?
We had to fire two key positions—our DP and our Sound Designer/Composer. They were let go at very different stages of production, and both were close friends of mine. It wasn’t easy—it destroyed our relationships—but it was unfortunately what needed to be done. This decision led me to Fletcher, our award-winning DP, who made this film her own. As a first-time director, I can say with confidence that I needed someone with her expertise to help shape the film. And Ben, our composer’s final score, is my favorite piece of the film.
"This film was made through grit, hustle, determination, and lots and lots of love."
What do you hope audiences take away from your film?
I hope that audiences feel like they’ve been taken someplace new—as if a door has opened that they never knew was there, and on the other side is an infinite number of possibilities. After every screening, we’re approached by audience members who want to share ideas for what could come next, and that level of engagement is beautiful and fortunate. I hope this film continues to excite audiences.
How has this film shaped or shifted the kind of stories you want to tell next?
This was my first time directing, and I made so many mistakes. Some I was able to fix, some will forever live in the film—but throughout it all, I learned more than I could have ever hoped. I’m excited to make my next film with confidence and a reminder that my voice has value and that I should trust it.
What’s a tool, technique, or resource that really helped you during production?
The greatest obstacle to art is not time or money, but self-doubt. It took seven years to make this film, and most of that timeline was filled with failure. It became so overwhelming to constantly be the face of failure that I tried to give up. I’m so fortunate I had MM (my wife and producer) and Matt Ruscio by my side because they didn’t let that happen. This film started succeeding when I surrounded myself with people who wanted to lift me up as a filmmaker. To go into the unknown knowing you’re not alone is crucial. So find someone that loves you, believes in you, and will give you a hug on the bad days and remind you that you can do it.
Independent filmmakers often rewrite the rules out of necessity. What do you think is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and how did you lean into that on this project?
"Naivety… There’s power in not knowing how challenging the road ahead will be."
Get advice, do your research—but lean on your lack of expertise as a strength to try new things, break conventions, or set goals that might seem impossible to the experienced. You’re going to fail, often, but as long as you don’t give up, as long as you keep believing in yourself and the film, then the boulder can be pushed to the top of the mountain—and it’s monumentally rewarding.
"The greatest obstacle to art is not time or money, but self-doubt."
What does it mean to you to have your film selected for FilmQuest, one of the world’s top reviewed genre film festivals?
I've had my eye set on FilmQuest for the past few years, so not only was receiving acceptance an honor, but to be nominated for Best Sci-Fi Short Film as well is absolutely surreal.
FilmQuest celebrates the majesty and might of genre filmmaking across fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action, thriller, western, kung-fu, and beyond. How does your film fit within—or push the boundaries of—genre storytelling?
The Traveler is heavily inspired by Alejandro Amenábar’s The Others as well as modern horror classics like The Witch and The Invisible Man. It’s a tribute to the films that made me want to become a genre storyteller, and the turn is one that feels fresh, exciting, and straight out of The Twilight Zone—perfect for a festival that prides itself on introducing audiences to new voices in the indie scene, such as FilmQuest.
Where do you see this film going next?
I'm currently shopping the feature adaptation and working on how the concept could work as a series.
“At the core of all my work is a desire to inspire the next generation of filmmakers through original storytelling."
Cast & Crew
- Natalie Knepp — Actor, plays Hannah Sutton in The Traveler
- Matthew Scheffler — Director, Writer, Producer; two-time Peabody Award winner, former Last Week Tonight producer, worked on Random Acts of Flyness and Ricky
- Meghan-Michele German — Producer; veteran of the New York indie scene, producer on A24’s Ziwe and Black Twitter: A People’s History
- Matt Ruscio — Producer
- Fletcher Wolfe — Director of Photography; award-winning DP behind Esme My Love and Sundance shorts including Thirsty Girl and Daddy’s Girl
- Amber Unkle — Production Designer; credits include Netflix’s Tires, Aubrey’s Children, Bunker
- Celeste Montalvo — Costume Designer; credits include Materialists, Past Lives, Y2K, Bodies Bodies Bodies
