Biography
Tom Garrett is a producer of independent feature films and a founding partner of Circa Films, a sales and distribution company engaged in production and international distribution of independent feature films. Over a 20-year period Tom has been credited as a producer on 14 feature films. He has intimate knowledge of the legal and financial issues involved in feature film production, having produced, directed and delivered films to the international marketplace. He has also served as a consultant on production issues, budgets, financing, guilds and unions, and legal affairs on projects ranging from low-budget independents to studio-level pictures.
Tom's films have screened at many prestigious film festivals worldwide, including Berlin, Cannes, Florence, Rotterdam and Toronto. For two decades he has played an active role with Circa Films at the Cannes Marche du Film at the Cannes Film Festival, MIFED (Milan International Film Fair of Exhibitors and Distributors) and AFM-American Film Market.
With an M.F.A from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts- Graduate Film program, Tom has worked as line producer, unit production manager and executive producer for a number of noted directors, including Academy Award winner Jean-Charles Tacchella (Cousin, Cousine (1975), Seven Sundays (1994)) and Alex Cox (Sid and Nancy (1986), Repo Man (1984). He has also worked with such well-known producers as Daniel Toscan du Plantier and Art Linson. Tom has been a part of numerous international co-productions. He has worked with many of the film industry's noted personalities, including such distinguished cinematographers as Mario García Joya (Strawberry & Chocolate (1993)), Carlo Varini (Subway (1985)) and Jan de Bont (Die Hard (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Black Rain (1989)) and such respected actors as Rod Steiger, Gary Oldman and Thierry Lhermitte.
Tom produced and directed Death Collector (1988), aka "Tin Star Void", a sci-fi western apocalyptic film from a screenplay by John J. McLaughlin (Black Swan, Hitchcock, Parker, Coma) that has been been called a "cult classic" by both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
In addition to his feature film career, Tom has worked as a producer and director for such prominent advertising agencies and public relations firms as Chiat-Day/Mojo, JWT, BBD&O and with such clients as Chanel, Reebok, Tag Heuer, Publix and Calvin Klien. His clients have also included Def Jam and Sony Records, where he produced music videos for the likes of Run-D.M.C. and U2.
Tom and his late wife, Lee Morse, owned Best West Productions, a production service company that had brought many feature films to the West Coast of Florida, among them such notable productions as Great Expectations (1998) (Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert De Niro) and Palmetto (1998) (Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue and Gina Gershon). Lee Morse (I)' was a producer and production coordinator.
In the summer of 2007 Tom attended a Directors Masters Class taught by Martin Scorsese at the Cannes Film Festival.
Tom has taught film production at NYU - Tisch School of the Arts, State College of Florida, University of Tampa and was the founding film program coordinator at Sam Houston State University's (a Carnegie Doctoral Research University) College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication where he taught undergraduate and graduate courses. Tom is Chair in the Department of Communication, Film & Media Studies at The University of New Haven. In addition, Tom continues to coordinate a world class program for students and media professionals at the Cannes Film Festival annually; 'Business of Film and the International Market'. Tom lives in Milford, Connecticut and Sarasota, Florida.
