Saville Selected for Square Peg Social

DEGANZ member Matthew Saville was recently selected for and attended the inaugural Square Peg Social, a four-day networking and mentorship event helmed by director Ari Aster and producer Lars Knudsen, the team behind renowned films such as Midsommar, Hereditary, and Beau is Afraid.

The event took place in Austin, Texas, where 35 chosen filmmakers from nearly 1,800 applications came together. Aster and Knudsen invited 27 of their most trusted collaborators to create an almost one-to-one ratio of established industry professionals to attendees.

Rather than focusing on conventional methods of pitching, development sessions, or securing funding, the programme focused on building community and connections. Its ethos was to bring together experienced mentors and impressive filmmakers to be candid about their experiences, both good and bad, to yield its own value for all those there. Square Peg Social intended to open doors, lift barriers, and create space for more seasoned filmmakers to help and nurture a new generation of creatives.

Being co-founded by two of Hollywood’s most innovative filmmakers, the initiative specifically recognised and selected filmmakers who challenged the norms of storytelling, redefined genre, and pushed creative boundaries.

Matthew shared with DEGANZ about his experience, saying,

The curation of filmmakers was wonderful, and the generosity of spirit from Square Peg was really hard to comprehend. I loved it. There was an openness from everyone. At any level were all just hustling and pitching and trying to tell great stories. It’s good to be with your people.

Congratulations, Matthew, for being selected to such an exclusive and exciting initiative!

Last updated on 20 November 2025