Matěj František Preisler

About

I come from a family whose significance lies in arts, especially music. I am a son of a late exceptionally talented conductor František Preisler ml., who worked closely with Karel Gott. My mother is a successful violinist Radka Preislerová who is a member of the orchestra of the Czech National theatre.

Beginnings

At the age of nine, I joined Kühn’s child choir, thanks to which I had the opportunity to perform in multiple operas that took place in Prague’s National Theatre and the Estates Theatre. There I portrayed several extra roles, oftentimes also non-singing episodic roles that were a part of premiere theatre plays such as “Jakobín”, “Carmen”, “Únos ze Serailu”, “Tosca”, “Gloriana”, “Parsifal”...).

Moreover, the time spent at Kühn’s choir rewarded me with varied acting experience. I took part in a mini-opera “Rybova mše”, a musical “Čert a Káča aneb Peklo v pekle” (author J. Teml, dir. E.H. Toperzzerová) and “Merry Wives of Windsor” hosted by annually held summer Shakespeares celebrations.

Studies

In 2015, I left singing and fully pursued a filmmaking career. I enrolled at the film and television school ELF Dream – In Front of the Camera, Behind the Camera, where I learned how to operate a camera, the basics of editing, and gained acting, directing, production, and screenwriting knowledge. Later, I filmed and appeared in the music video for the song By your side by Tonye Graves and diligently focused on the production of the feature co-production film *Eliška and the World of Fantasy*.

Personal projects and experience

Over the years, I have also worked on personal, non-public videos and projects, honing my acting, singing, directing, and editing skills (for example, the satirical news segment Na cimpr campr on YouTube with satire and impersonations). I filmed the entertainment show Pod zakrytým úsměvem with J. Krampol, created the creative duo MP's with actor Michal Pazderka and completed several joint projects. Occasionally, I also appeared as an extra and represented FAMO in Písek at various showcases and festivals. As a chaperone for the Czech children's jury, I participated in the Taoba festival in Tbilisi, served as a juror for student films at the 57th Ota Hofman Festival in Ostrov nad Ohří, and was a jury member at the first edition of the Česká leonarda competition. I also trained in a dubbing studio, as dubbing has always interested me.

Ten years later, in 2025, I completed a five-year study in live-action directing at FAMO in Písek, during which I produced several audiovisual projects, many of which received awards in the Czech Republic and abroad.

Present time

During my master's studies, I, along with three classmates, received a scholarship from FTV Prima, for which I work as an assistant director. In December 2024, I became a member of ARAS (Association of Directors, Screenwriters, and Dramaturges), and after graduating from FAMO in Písek—where I contribute as a festival coordinator and organizer of the monthly FAMO|ZNÍ screenings—I was accepted into the CME Content Academy Lifelong Learning Course, which was organized in its first year by TV Nova Group in cooperation with and at the premises of FAMU in Prague.