WORCESTER – This is part of a series of interviews of those in the New England film industry, produced in partnership with HollyWoot Film Group. All answers are unedited and as provided by the interviewee.
Kris Salvi is a multi award-winning actor director and producer. He recently directed and starred in ‘Machine gun town.’ Kris is based in Fitchburg, and known for helping other independent filmmakers get their projects completed.
Q1: What is your favorite movie?
My favorite movie is The Friends Of Eddie Coyle directed by Peter Yates starring Robert Mitchum. It is a real ugly gritty look at the Boston underworld in a time and place when the city of Boston and America metaphorically felt like it was running out of gas.
Q2: Who is your hero?
It’s hard to pinpoint all of them. One of them is filmmaker, John Cassavettes. He was a true independent artist in his own right.
Gena Rowlands, his wife is also a hero of mine. There is no John without Gena Rowlands. She is a true actress.
Singer/Songwriter Tom Waits, He just creates beautiful music with the air. He’s almost like a gypsy magician.
Another Hero of mine is Joan Of Arc. She was true to her beliefs and refused to surrender to those in charge. She stood her own ground despite being burned at the stake. She’s a true believer.
Q3: What is your preferred craft in film?
That’s a little hard to answer. I can’t say “Oh I prefer this, or I “prefer this.”
I love acting. It’s an emotional exercise and also therapeutic for me. I also love directing.
Directing is sometimes even more therapeutic and cathartic for me. I love to create stories and see them come to life.
Acting and directing is like playing the major and minor keys on the guitars, each craft is like the twisting and turning of the fingers.
So I don’t know.
Q4: How long have you been working in film, and where?
I’ve kinda lost track of time and how long I’ve been doing this. I feel like I’ve been acting my whole life and always believed there was some imaginary
camera hidden in the walls of life recording me. I did start out as a P.A. And make up artist along with being an extra when I was younger. I thought I’d get stuck being an extra and maybe I did, I just ended up getting lines to say on camera.
I’m gonna say maybe 15 years now but don’t quote me.
Q5: What is your dream project?
Like everything else, I have a few dream projects.
I suppose my number one pick would be a film called RPM (Revolutions per minute) it revolves, literally around a record producer in the 1970’s trying to save his dying record label by throwing a scam benefit. It involves music, the mob and Murder. What more can you ask for? It was about a 300 page script but I’ve edited down over the years.
Q6: The film that should never be remade is…?
JAWS. Don’t touch it. It’s perfect. Don’t touch a single frame of it. Not one single frame or line. It’s perfect. PERFECT.
Q7: If you were overlord for a day, what would change about the local film industry?
Oh man. I don’t know. I mean I love the local film industry. I suppose if I was in charge I’d create production studios that cater specifically to the local independent film artists. Greenlight local projects from local filmmakers and writers and actors. I’d try to make it so that the local film is really more like a mini Hollywood but without the corporation and globalization of the local scene.
Hollywood sometimes needs to keep its beak out of the local film industry.
That’s the best answer I have for right now.
Q8: What are you working on now?
Right now I’m fine tuning my newest short film, “A Woman Under An Inferno Sky.”
I’ve acted and produced another short film called “Spiders In The Wall” that should be out soon. It stars Justin Thibault and Kayla Caufeild and is directed by Christopher Di Nunzio. A great local filmmaker.
I’ve been working closely with producer Jimmy Jackson with his scripts. So I’ve always got something in the oven and sometimes I overcook them.
Q9: Where can we find your work and you?
You can usually find me on the streets of Fitchburg, Massachusetts from the hours of 1:00am and 3:00am wearing a top hat and a golden walking stick standing outside the Dippin Donuts on the John Fitch Highway.
You can find my work though @Privateyesfilms on Facebook and YouTube.
Q10: What is the next step?
I suppose the next step is either up or down or sideways or backwards or forwards or round and round. I guess, however I feel when it comes to creating.
Editor’s Note: The author of this piece, John Keough, is president of Hollywoot Film Group and a contributor to This Week in Worcester.
Image Credit: Kris Salvi/ Facebook
