Matthias Pacht studied musicology and psychology in Hamburg. He worked at TBWA Germany and Jung von Matt in Hamburg from 1994-1996. During his screenplay studies at the Film Akademie Baden-Wuerttemberg from1997-2002, he was awarded the Caligari Förderpreis for exceptionally talented students. His graduate film is called Der Rattenkönig.

For the screenplay to Das wahre Leben, co-authored with Alex Buresch, Pacht was awarded the Preis der deutschen Filmkritik and the Thomas Strittmatter Preis. In 2009, he was awarded the Grimme-Preis.