A Talk with Film Producer Divya D’Souza, CEO of Matchbox Productions

Divya D'Souza

Divya D’Souza always had big dreams. When she was a child growing up in Kanata, Ontario, Canada, she wanted to be a rock star. When she was a teenager and began thinking about what to do with her life, she found herself pursuing filmmaking. The entertainment industry can be gruelling and difficult to succeed in, but D’Souza persevered, knowing that making movies was what she was meant to do. Her belief was so strong, that it led her to launching her own production company, Matchbox Productions, allowing her to spend every day doing what she loves.

“I started Matchbox Productions in order to have a place to work on my own creative content and loan my services out to other companies,” she said.

Since starting Matchbox in 2007, D’Souza has had extraordinary success as the Founder and CEO. The seasoned producer has created many celebrated films under her brand, including Miskate, the beautiful family drama about a young male figure skater, and A Picture of Ray Robinson, the concert and documentary film about the famed Canadian R&B Singer. During her time running her company, D’Souza has also loaned out her services to numerous high-profile blockbusters, such as Robocop, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Carrie, The Thing, The Vow, Pixels, Total Recall and more.

“It is exhilarating to be able to have control creatively and business wise on what projects to pursue and work on,” she said.

When launching Matchbox Productions, D’Souza created a streamlined business plan and incorporated. Because of her already impressive resume as a producer in Canada and internationally, word of mouth generated many employment opportunities for her services, as well as cultivating ideas into concrete projects for Matchbox.

“Working as a CEO of a production company has many tasks and hats that you wear. From overseeing the finances to plotting a course on what project and work you take on,” she described.

Matchbox would not be the success it is today without D’Souza’s continued hard work, determination, patience, and solid reputation. She worked her way up in the film industry, starting as an assistant to become the successful producer she is today. Now, she looks back and finds it almost unbelievable that she has worked on so many film and television projects, across every genre, with some of Hollywood’s most renowned actors and directors. 

“Being a diverse female, I have been lucky to have supportive bosses in the past, but there were times where I wondered if I would ever make the leap from assisting directing to producing. I kept going on even with the strenuous work hours and lack of personal life. Which in retrospect I am so happy I did as it has allowed me to do what I do now. I love that I have been able to work on over 30 different projects in different genres and mediums,” she said.

So, what’s next for D’Souza? She is currently in Australia producing the Netflix limited series God’s Favorite Idiot starring Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, Leslie Bibb, Kevin Dunn and others. It’s been a highlight for her to work closely with such talented actors. 

“Being able to produce in a different country and get to meet great crew and see wonderful landscapes has been an extraordinary opportunity. I also like how it keeps me on my toes in terms of learning the rules, culture and protocol that occurs when filming in Australia versus somewhere else,” she said.

Be sure to keep a look out for God’s Favorite Idiot when it hits Netflix.