project news

My Perestroika

Garret is editing My Perestroika for director Robin Hessman. The film will have its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2010 and a PBS/POV broadcast in 2011.

My American Dream

Garret edited The Kids Across the Hill, an episode of Michael Camerini and Shari Robertson's 12-part HBO series about immigration reform in the United States.

The End of America

Garret worked as an additional editor on Annie Sundberg & Ricki Stern's documentary, The End of America, based on Naomi Wolf's best selling book of the same name.

The film premiered at the Hamptons Film Festival and screened at the Sheffield Doc/Fest.

It is available for download at Snag Films and is distributed by Indiepix.

Ready, Set, Bag! (AKA Paper or Plastic?)

Paper or Plastic? had its World Premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival. It had a great festival run and will be showing in theaters across the country throughout 2010.

The film has been renamed Ready, Set, Bag!

Like So Many Things... Unsaid

Like So Many Things.... Unsaid, a short Garret edited for director Jon Hokanson and this Thing Films, was a finalist for the ifc.com Media Lab Red Bull After Hours Web Series Challenge.

It went on to be developed by IFC into a seven-part web series that debuted in May of 2009.

MTV Networks

Garret edited for MTV2's upfront presentation.

Discovery Channel

Working for Anatomy Media, Garret edited for Discovery Channel's upfront presentation for the second year in a row.

Split: A Divided America

Garret edited for director Kelly Nyks to put the finishing touches on Split, A Divided America, his film about the partisanship that dominates American politics. Split had its World Premiere at the Dallas Film Festival in March.

Sorry, Thanks

Garret was the on-set editor for Dia Sokol's indie feature, Sorry, Thanks.

Ready, Set, Bag! (AKA Paper or Plastic?)

Garret was in Berkeley, CA editing Justine Jacob and Alex Da Silva's Paper or Plastic? feature documentary. The film follows eight of the nation's best competitive grocery baggers as they make their way to the 2007 National Championships.

4-Cylinder 400

4-Cylinder 400 premieres on IFC on Memorial Day, May 29 at 8:30 EST / 5:30 PST.

The List screened at the Coney Island Film Festival and at the the Williamstown Film Festival.

The List takes us on a disturbing trip through Jeff's subconscious after his ex-girlfriend reminds him of his lackluster sexual performance during their failed relationship.

Garret directed and edited the short film and co-produced it with New York's Hair of the Dog Theater Company members James Larmer, Tamara Lovatt-Smith, and Jay Riedl.

Shoot the Freak short documentary

Shoot the Freak screened at Piano's as part of Studio Sessions at Studio 42.

Coney Island has always been known for its freaks. But there's a new game on the boardwalk and it surprises even the old-timers: It's called Shoot the Freak; a shooting gallery with a live human target! Running the operation is Anthony, a savvy and ambitious businessman and the creator of the game. The Freak is Manny, a young guy who makes money getting shot at so he can put his wife through school and raise his precious baby girl. Loco is the man on the mic, taunting beach-goers to put their money down and take their shots.

Producers/Directors/Editors:
Garret Savage, Jessie Hutcheson, Lisa M. Perry

The Independent Film and Video Monthly article

Garret is one of the 10 top short filmmakers in The Independent Film and Video Monthly's January/February 2005 article, "Short People: A roundup of some top short-makers."

Article clipping here.

Editing

Garret has been freelancing at IFC in their promo department. Here are some of the spots he's cut recently:

Dust to Glory feature film promo
Henry's Film Corner
Film Fanatic Fridays

4-Cylinder 400

The 4-Cylinder 400 short rural documentary DVD is now available for purchase on-line for just $10.

Film Festivals

October saw the premiere of Garret's latest short film, Shoot the Freak at the Coney Island Film Festival. He co-directed the film with Jessie Hutcheson and Lisa M. Perry.

4-Cylinder 400 continues to rip up the festival circuit. This month it played the CMJ Music and Film Marathon (opening for the excellent feature documentary Monster Road), the Black Bear Festival in Milford, PA, and the Hawaii International Film Festival (opening for friend Amanda Micheli's award-winning Double Dare documentary). Unfortunatley, Garret couldn't make it to the Hawaii screening! DVDs of 4-Cylinder 400 will be available soon.

The 24 Hour Plays: 4th Annual Celebrity Benefit

Garret assistant directed Poem, written by Chris Shinn, directed by Marion McClinton and starring Justin Long, Anthony Mackie, Andre Royo, and Lili Taylor.

The one-act play was performed with five others at the American Airlines Theater on Broadway and benefitted Working Playground. Participants included Brooke Shields, Christina Ricci, Billy Crudup, Amanda Peet, Adam Goldberg, Rachel Dratch, and more.

Howl! Festival of East Village Arts

Garret directed a reading of R. Brent Beerman's award-winning play, A Dull Pain Turned Sharp. The reading was co-sponsored by Moxie Films and the Howl! festival.

Nantucket Film Festival

Two of Garret's short films, For Food, and 4-Cylinder 400, screened at this year's Nantucket Film Festival.

RIPFest #4

Garret edited the short musical comedy, 'Til Birth Do Us Part. The film was conceived, written, recorded, shot, and edited in just 16 days!

Director: Elizabeth Lucas
Writers: Sheryl Zohn and Rob Kutner
Composer: Scott Ethier
DP/Camera: Eric O'Connor
Choreographer: Tesha Buss
Production Manager: Craig Hirschfield
Cast: Patrick Mellen, Mark Sanders, Lisa Yuen
Producer: Evan Greenberg

Showtime Networks' American Candidate

Showtime Networks broadcast "a ground-breaking television series in which the American people will identify a People's Candidate that they would like to see run for President of the United States."

In 1998, Garret starred in the short film, The Young American, which was developed into the upcoming Showtime program. Directed by Plowden Schumacher, and produced by Schumacher, Ronan Nagle, and Savage, the film follows Garret on the first day of his campaign for the 2012 Presidential election.

The Showtime project is executive produced by Jay Roach (director of Meet the Parents and Austin Powers).

Garret has since curtailed his presidential ambitions and now merely wants to own a house and a two-car garage in a nice neighborhood.

Newport Beach Film Festival

Garret, former Newport Beach and Balboa Island resident, will return to the city he grew up in when his short, For Food, plays in the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Screenings will be on Sunday, April 18 at 4 PM at the Edwards Island 4 and again on Tuesday, April 20 at the same time and place. Garret will be attending the Sunday screening.

The 24 Hour Plays

After acting in 4 previous 24 Hour Plays, Garret changed roles as he directed Three Guys and Brenda, a one-act written by Adam Bock and starring Tami Dixon, Julie Shavers, Carla Rzeszewski, and Jama Williamson.

An evening of The 24 Hour Plays consists of 6 one-act plays written, rehearsed and performed in just 24 hours!

Showstopper reading

Garret acted in a benefit reading of Showstopper, a new screenplay by Anthony Barrile and Geoffrey Nauffts. The proceeds from the reading went towards Broadway Cares and the Nantucket Film Festival.

Other participating actors included Ben Stiller, Marisa Tomei, Chita Rivera, Geoffrey Nauffts, Susie Essman, Mario Cantone, Anthony Barrile, Max Miner, Sherie Rene Scott, Adam Pascal, Tom Kitt and Michael Boatman.

The film is in development with Stiller's production company.

Bush in 30 Seconds

Garret edited Charade, a 30 second commercial for MoveOn.org's Bush in 30 Seconds contest.

It was directed by Lisa M. Perry and written by Jessie and Allen Hutcheson.

Watch the spot here.

Moviemaker Magazine

Garret, Lisa, Jessie, and John, at the Coney Island Film Festival to show For Food, were featured in Moviemaker Magazine's article about underground film festivals.

Hamptons International Film Festival

Garret spent a weekend at the Hamptons where the short he directed, For Food, unspooled alongside two short films he plays the lead role in, Flights and Out of Time.

Nantucket Film Festival

Garret acted in a reading of Steven Soderbergh's long talked about screenplay adaptation of The Confederacy of Dunces, written by Soderbergh and Scott Kramer, and directed by David Gordon Green.

He was in amazing company. Also reading were Will Ferrell, Mos Def, Kristen Johnson, Paul Rudd, Rosie Perez, Celia Weston, Olympia Dukakis, Anne Meara, Alan Cumming, Jesse Eisenberg, Jace Alexander, Dan Hedeya, Natasha Lyonne, and John Shea.

He also attended the festival as the film editor of NBC's Screenwriter's Tribute reel for honoree Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Mrs. Prawer Jhabvala has written most of Merchant-Ivory's screenplays and won Oscars for A Room with a View and Howards End.

Short films: Out of Time and Flights

Two short films Garret plays the lead role in turned into big hits on the festival circuit:

Out of Time, directed by Omi Vaidya, won Best Narrative at ArtsFest and 3rd place for Creative Excellence in Short Subject at the US International Film and Video Festival.

It played the First Look Student Film Festival in Parker, Colorado; the Artsfest in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; the Asian Film Festival of Dallas; the Santa Cruz Film Festival; the Dahlonega International Film Festival; and several others.

Flights, directed by Robert Herzog, won the 11th Cinevue International Film Competition award for Best Film Short Subject. It has also screened at Hamptons International Film Festival, IFP Buzz Cuts and the Williamstown Film Festival.

Coincidentally, both films screened at the da Vinci Film and Video Festival in Oregon and at the Hamptons International Film Festival.