Matthias Grunsky is a cinematographer based in Munich, working internationally.

He began his career as a camera assistant in Austria and Germany, working with cinematographers including Lee Daniel on Richard Linklater's BEFORE SUNRISE (1995) and Helmut Pirnat on Franz Antel's DER BOCKERER II (1996). He later graduated from the American Film Institute Conservatory's cinematography program in Los Angeles.

Grunsky shot his first feature, FUNNY HA HA (2002), for director Andrew Bujalski, beginning a collaboration that has continued across all seven of Bujalski's films. For COMPUTER CHESS (2013), he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Cinematography. Their work together often explores unconventional formats, including 1970s black-and-white video tube cameras and, for THERE THERE (2022) filmed remotely during COVID, iPhones.

Other collaborations include NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS (2008) with Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig, MARLENE (2018) with Berlin-based filmmaker Andreas Resch, and the children's films TALES OF FRANZ (2021) and NEW TALES OF FRANZ (2022) with director Johannes Schmid.

Most recently, he worked with Edgar Reitz on LEIBNIZ (Berlinale 2025), creating baroque-inspired chiaroscuro lighting for a chamber piece set almost entirely in one room.

His work has been praised by The New Yorker, Cahiers du Cinéma, and Variety for its "daring camerawork," "ravishing black-and-white imagery," and "Rembrandt-like chiaroscuro lighting." He has received awards for Best Cinematography at the Midwest Independent Film Festival (SAINTS REST, 2019) and the History Film Fest Rijeka (DIE UNBEUGSAMEN, 2019).

His films have premiered at Sundance, Berlinale, Tribeca, and SXSW.