Matt Ruscio

TEN FESTIVALS!: When we first set out to make The Traveler, we knew we had a chance to make some noise in the festival circuit, but never thought we would have this much fortune....just kidding. Yeah we did.  Because we had an amazing crew, an amazing lead actress and incredible support from over 200 #Kickstarter backers, along with our amazing family and friends who all believed in what we were doing.  We’re humbled by it all, but we know exactly how we got here. Can’t wait for our New England premiere at the @nhff on this Thursday, a homecoming for our writer/director @ironschef2021 and producer @mattyfastball , and to go back to the home of where this film was made for our New York premiere at @brooklynhorrorfest .  See you at the movies. #indiefilm #horrormovies

I hit the jackpot.

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1 YEAR AGO today we premiered @thetraveler_film at the @clefilmfest So thankful to @paul_sloop #WeezieThomey and the entire CIFF programming for screening our film to the World for the very first time. This was the first step in what has been a beautiful journey and I’m so thankful to the filmmakers and film lovers that we’ve met along the way. Congrats to CIFF on 50 years and I look forward to returning next year #film #filmmaking #shortfilm #ciff50

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE SOLD OUT! We’re very excited to be screening at London’s @crystalpalacefilmfestival at 7pm (GMT of course) to a sold out crowd Thanks @mattyfastball for representing @thetraveler_film across the pond alongside @bendohertymusic who’s a film shy of a hat trick at this year’s fest. Good work guys, enjoy the screening PS: Matt, remember, it’s Zed not Z and put an extra U in everything, just to be safe.

THE REVIEWS ARE IN, PART 1: 👉 swipe to get a glimpse of what some new friends are saying about @thetraveler_film and check out the link in bio if you missed the full reviews from @thecontending and #ShortFilmsMatter Tell us in the comments what you thought of The Traveler. To all of our UK friends, The Traveler is part of the Opening Night showcase at @crystalpalacefilmfestival this Thursday, February 26th. Link for tickets in bio! And to all our friends stateside, you can catch The Traveler at @eldoradofilmfest Sunday, March 1st in Arkansas! #indieshorts #indiefilm #indiefilmmaking horrorshorts

IN DEVELOPMENT: Finally had some old rolls developed from our time at @danceswithfilms last summer. This was an incredible trip filled with great films, good weather, amazing food, and the best friends you could ask for I sometimes struggle to appreciate LA but this week in June showed just how magical the City of Angels can be NOW to practice getting my hat out of the way 😩 #film #filmfestivals #horrorfilm #shortfilm

CRYSTAL PALACE NOMINEE: So excited to announce @thetraveler_film will be making its international premiere as a selection and nominee at @crystalpalacefilmfestival !!! 🌍The Crystal Palace International film festival is one of the most highly regarded indie film fests in the world, and it’s an incredible honor to host our INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE on opening night! The haunting score of The Traveler composed by @bendohertymusic is one of the films best and defining features so it’s with great pleasure we can finally screen on Ben’s home turf in London — in a true act of fate, Ben also composed on Safe which plays in our block! Crystal Palace International Film Festival Launch Night 🗓️ Thursday February 26th ⏰ 7:00 PM 📍 Screen 2 Everyman SE19 2TE Congratulations to the incredible filmmakers who will be screening alongside us on opening night: Easy Sell - kenstagram45 & @ash_mesh87 Jeff Hilliard – My Face - @jeffhilliard Indignitas - darciamartindirector Toad in the Hole - Ben Norris Safe - @govindchandran Erection and Destruction - @eddie_mullins3 Unisex - Rachel Nicholson, Sam Hocking Encuentro Americano - E.T. Vazquez Thank you so much to the incredible people at @crystalpalacefilmfestival for taking the time to watch our film and consider it for this year’s festival! #filmfest #horror #horrorfilm #shortfilm #filmmaking ers

ROAD TO EL DORADO: So excited to announce @thetraveler_film will be kicking off 2026 with @eldoradofilmfest One of the unsung beauties of the festival circuit has been getting to travel to new places and meet the incredible filmmakers whose hearts burn there. So excited to make our first trip to Arkansas and continue celebrating this film and this festival. Shoot us a DM if you’ll be in attendance or want someone to rep your screening while we’re there! El Dorado Film Festival Shorts Block #4 🗓️ Sunday March 1st ⏰ 11:45am 📍 South Arkansas Arts Center Major shoutout to the incredible filmmakers who will be screening alongside us: Tether - #MeredithBerg (starring @girlwithaboysname ) The Camcorder - @mark.visser Hivemind Deluxe - @velvetysatin Love Machine - @jonclarkfilms Perfect Night - @davidmichaellong Val - @jeffreys.film @evanrashbymusic Honored to share space with you all and can’t wait to see your films!!! Thank you so much to @alexanderjeffery @t_corley_davis @the.pixie @benton.garrison94 @karen_m_hicks for taking the time to watch our film and consider it for this year’s festival

FINAL FALL FEST: @thetraveler_film will host its Pennsylvania premiere at @filmpgh ! We’re rounding out the autumn film festival season with the amazing Three River Film Festival in Pittsburgh (100 miles from where the year began!). It’s been a beautiful fall for The Traveler team and we’re exciting for this momentum to continue! Block: Sunday Shorts 2 🗓️ Sunday Nov. 23rd ⏰ 2:45 PM 📍 The Harris Theater 🎟️ Link in Bio Shout out to all the amazing films that will be playing alongside us this Sunday: Dance Into the Day: @24_frames_of_taney Other Half: Anne Base, @halchar Chips or Crackers: @michaelgrabrieledirector Valentine’s Day: @tina_carbone_films Giving Mom the Talk: @heyiyer ADO: @sammyrayday The Life We Have: @sampricew #filmpgh #filmfest #horrorfilm #filmmaking #indiefilm

REVIEW FROM THE CONTENDING: “The quietness presses in on you throughout The Traveler, Matthew Scheffler’s intensely atmospheric, psychological exploration of one woman’s grief. It’s often stated that the best kind of horror is when we, the audience, cannot see what might be tormenting us just out of reach in the shadows. By infusing this story with palpable sorrow, Scheffler has created one of the most striking films, feature or short, of the year.” Acclaimed writer and IMDB critic Joey Moser from The Contending sat down with our writer/director Matthew Scheffler (@ironschef2021 ) to talk about The Traveler. This review and interview truly means the world to us! In addition to the praise and recognition Joey beautifully writes about the film, the conversation gives readers a more in-depth look of Matt’s vision and the making of the film than ever before, including early production planning with our Director of Photography @fletcher_wolfe and VFX supervisor @ckinggfx . Check out the full article at the link in bio and follow @thecontending and @joeymoser83 ! #indiefilms #indieshorts #indiefilmmaking #horrorfilm

I loved The Traveler starring Natalie Knepp, Written and Directed by Matthew Scheffler, and produced by Matt Ruscio and Meghan-Michelle German. Be sure to follow @thetraveler_film @mattyfastball @ironschef2021 for updates on how you can see this film! #shortfilm #thetraveler #horror @natalieknepp