Salvador Pérez García goes to Sundance
Just one year after earning a master’s degree with emphasis in film editing at Hollywood’s prestigious American Film Institute, Salvador Pérez García has been collecting awards, five to be exact. Now add to his credits having a film world premiering at Sundance.
Pérez García edited “Shit Kids,” a quirky comedy about a teen girl whose parents are so incredibly boring that she plans their murder with the help of young man also afflicted by the same family karma. A TV PILOT Directed by the Primetime Emmy-winning actor Kyle Dunnigan, the film is actually a pilot for a TV show screening under Sundance’s Independent Pilot Showcase. “I’m extremely excited since Sundance is the greatest independent film festival in America and one of the best ones in the world,” says the 30-year-old via phone from his home in Los Angeles. He was supposed to be present at the premiere of his film Jan. 20 but work prevented him from joining the film’s crew. He expects to join this colleagues soon for additional screenings at the Park City, Utah-festival. “I will still get to celebrate with this team of very talented filmmakers.” FROM GUADALAJARA TO HOLLYWOOD Filmmaking brought the Guadalajara, Mexico-born artist to Hollywood. With a bachelor’s degree in audiovisual arts from the University of Guadalajara, he pursued and earned a master’s in fine arts with a specialization in film editing at the American Film Institute. At this school he received the prestigious Tom Yoda Scholarship for talent and academic achievement. This gave him the opportunity to edit more than a dozen shorts. While initially he dreamed of being a director, Pérez García fell in love with editing.
That newfound passion has been evident in his work. One of his thesis projects, “The Duke: Based on the Memoir 'I'm The Duke' by J.P. Duke” was shortlisted for the 2016 BAFTA US Student Film Awards and entered more than 20 film festivals, including New York’s Tribeca, and won another honor at the Pasadena International Film Festival. Another two of Pérez García’s films won him additional prizes. ON EDITING AND WRITING While he enjoys writing scripts, the filmmaker likes editing even more. Besides, for him the two jobs are inseparable. “There's a saying that, ‘editing is the final rewrite of the movies’,” says Pérez García. “In a way, I'm constantly writing while editing. I recently worked in a feature that had a loose script and I had to give it shape and construct the story through my work.” So expect more editor credits from Pérez García–and maybe a few in writing, in both film and television projects. He hopes his dedication will keep work coming. “I want to build strong creative friendships with directors so that I can work with them again and again, do someone’s film and maybe their next one, too.” Pérez García's next projects include the feature films "STAG," directed by Karen Moncrieff and starring Rose McIver, and “¡He Matado a Mi Marido!” (I killed my husband), directed by Francisco Lupini Basagoiti and starring María Conchita Alonso and Eduardo Yáñez. –CESAR ARREDONDO
