'one big holiday' is available on itunes!

Three years ago I made a film with some talented people about some talented people. What transpired in that week was a beautiful experience, and I like to think that its beauty translates to the screen within One Big Holiday.

The short documentary was first released in May 2011 with My Morning Jacket's album Circuital in the deluxe box set. It was an awesome honor that the band chose to include the film and share with its devoted fans. And now, I am proud to say that it is available to everyone on iTunes! Get it here.

Fans of My Morning Jacket and the city of Louisville will dig the film, and those who are unfamiliar with neither may fall in love with both. Or not. But how will you know if you don't watch it?

I am indebted to everyone who made the film possible: the fellas in the band and their manager Mike Martinovich for allowing us in for a week, the fine folks we interviewed, the gracious people who donated money and food, and my hardworking and trusting crew. And finally, without the big-picture idea from Director Michael Feld, none of this would have been possible.

I hope you enjoy the film.

*Show poster above, credit to Brandon Jones (http://www.branjofarms.com)

we made it to the semifinals!

Watch Sarah and I race around Las Vegas as we compete in the Rider Challenge, hoping to make it to the finals in Los Angeles to win a car!

The Vegas episodes can be found here: http://www.riderchallengeseries.com/episodes/play/full/0

And if you missed any of the other episodes, you can find them here: http://www.riderchallengeseries.com/episodes/play/full/9

Go Team Sensation!

i'm on a reality gameshow! wha?!?

Although I've sworn to myself and others that I would never be on a reality show, this one kinda creeped up and seemed like fun. Sarah and I put together an audition tape just for fun, and thought we'd send it in and see what happens. Hollywood Rule #7: when you care about a job or a role, you don't get it; when you could give a flyin' hootenanny, you book the dern thing.

So, after hundreds (thousands?) of submissions, our tape was good enough to be sent to the producers of the show, who also liked us. Only six teams would make it to the final show for the competition, but we're already humbled to have made it this far simply on our audition tape. Now we're in the top 20. Now we're in the top 16. Now we're in the top 12. Now we're in the top 8, and we're guaranteed two episodes. Wait a minute, now we're in the top 6 and we're guaranteed 4 episodes!

I'm not allowed to say too much, but it's a music-themed scavenger hunt for items on a band's rider. (A rider is the list of all the things a band requests when touring, including water, brown M&Ms, pigmy marmosets, etc.) The winning team gets a Ford Fiesta and a Livenation Ultimate Pass for a year.

Here is a sneak preview of the show: http://www.riderchallengeseries.com The show begins in early October, so check back to see how we did!

jon and jen are married!

JON AND JEN ARE MARRIED. (Episode 2) from Gregory Fitzsimmons on Vimeo.

This is a web series my friend Greg created with Jackie Geary and Jamison Haase. Both of them have been on lots of TV shows and movies, and Jackie was most recently in White House Down opposite Channing Tatum as the Vice President's assistant. She's pretty kick-ass.

I have a small role in episode two above as Rocco. I will probably never get the chance to play a character named Rocco again, so please enjoy. I've been working out.

Here's the link if the above is too easy for ye.
https://vimeo.com/channels/542151/68621429

Also, this is what Greg looks like when he naps on grass.

mother of pearl what have i been doing?!?

It feels like I haven't updated this blog in half a year! Half a year! That's six months! Surely I have gobs of titillating career and life info to share with you, all in this one post! Right?!? Write?!?

Have you ever had a blog, and then you kinda forgot that you actually had a blog? And not because one of your fans wrote you a nice email inquiring into the current status of your whereabouts and doabouts. Or not because you never call your mother, and a blog is the best way for her to find out about all the legal and publishable stuff you're doing with your unused bachelor's degree, and she writes you a nice text asking when your blog will be updated. (That was a terrible sentence grammatically, I apologize. But the sentiment remains.)

None of those are true! I've just been sooo busy this year (2013?) and I had to let my intern go. And let's be honest, she was only good at updating this blog. WHICH SHE APPARENTLY HASN'T DONE FOR SIX WHOLE MONTHS.

So here we go. You wanna know what I've been up to? Let's do this. Ok. You ready? I hope you have at least eleven minutes to read this entire post, 'cause I'm gonna fill it with some amazing and detailed career exploits. From the past six months.

Argh, this is tough.

Here's a photo of my cat!

i booked a feature film!

After submitting a taped audition several months ago, it is my great pleasure to announce I was cast as the male lead in an indie romantic comedy about bowling! And after three laborious and exciting weeks on set in Louisville, Kentucky, we wrapped filming this past Monday night!

The story goes like this: As her 30th birthday looms, an over-achieving woman with a thing for bowlers decides she must meet and marry the man of her dreams in just under a month. Two viable options present themselves, one a gorgeous hand model (not played by me) and a dude who works at the local movie store (you guessed it). The love story coincides with a huge Lebowski Fest-style bowling tournament that culminates in the woman having to choose between the 7 or the 10. Yep, the most difficult split in the bowling world.

I met some amazing people working on this film, both cast and crew. We had a wonderfully fun time bringing the characters to life, and I can't wait to see how all the footage is put together into the feature.

Check out the Facebook page for more information and photos: https://www.facebook.com/SplitTheMovie

one big holiday european festivals!

It is with great excitement I can announce my documentary One Big Holiday has been invited into two European film festivals in Germany and Wales! The first, In-Edit Musikdokumentarfilmfestival, takes place in Berlin and will show the film on 31 October and 03 November (http://www.in-edit.de/85808/801458/kurzfilme/one-big-holiday). It will be paired with Don't Follow Me (I'm Lost), a documentary about Bobby Bare, Jr. that we premiered with in Los Angeles.

The second festival takes place 14-18 November in Cardiff, Wales, called Soundtrack International Film and Music Festival (http://soundtrackfilmfestival.com/blog/the-soundtrack-mini-music-doc-award-screenings/). We are lucky enough to have been shortlisted as one of five top films to receive the Mini Music Doc Award based on votes from a panel of judges and audiences from three screenings! Regardless of the outcome, we are honored to share our film with new Welsh fans!

Stay tuned!

my shuttle space!

The space shuttle Endeavour made its final flight of its career (and marked the end of the shuttle program as we know it) a couple weeks ago over LA. After being readied in a hangar at LAX, it took a 12-mile journey through city streets to the California Science Center, where it will be displayed forever.

The two-day haul at 2mph was quite a sight, with the wings coming within inches of several traffic lights and trees. To make the event even more unique was the fact that the shuttle was pulled over a bridge by a Toyota truck. The publicity stunt was filmed for a commercial, and I helped produce a large viewing reception for Toyota executives at Randy's Donuts, an iconic LA donut shop seen in many Hollywood films.

Seeing the shuttle fly overhead was amazing, but witnessing it so up close and moving through the city was breathtaking. The bonus of the evening was running into Luke Wilson, who was shooting a short film as the shuttle passed.

fresh new website!

It's been awhile coming, but as I've learned with everything in this business, patience and baby steps are extremely important to continued success. So, without further ado, I present to you a newly revamped website!

www.guetig.com

Amongst the changes are a sleeker look, more user-friendly pages, and some career updates. I will soon be adding a media page for easy access to many of your favorite commercials, short films, and TV clips. Of me. I mean, obviously, your favorite videos probably involve that little girl from Modern Family or anything from Breaking Bad, but I'll just post my stuff. Hopefully you can pick a favorite of mine from there. And, um, if not, I guess 30 Rock is back on...

one big holiday festival photos!

Here are a few more photos from Flyover Film Festival in Louisville several months ago.
During the opening night screening


Christopher Guetig, Jim James, Michael Feld


Q&A with Stu Pollard


Festival Director Ryan Daly, Board Member-Producer Stu Pollard, Board Member-Actor William Mapother, filmmakers Evan Sennett and Matthew Rivera, Producer Gill Holland, Christopher Guetig, Jim James, Michael Feld

festival press for 'one big holiday'!

What a grand week it was! A homegrown boy who made a hometown film about a homegrown band returning to his hometown to show his homegrown film. Ah, yes, it was exciting for me to return to the place I love so much, and even more fun to have the opportunity to talk about One Big Holiday on a morning show, radio, newspapers, and even a podcast. Below you will find a smattering of infotainment about the film and my connection to Louisville.

Voice-Tribune
http://www.voice-tribune.com/news/profile/a-louisville-love-story/


NPR, WFPL 89.3
http://wfpl.org/post/back-band-drummer-turned-filmmaker-produces-my-morning-jacket-documentary#.T85me_CB3rp.email


WHAS Great Day Live
http://www.whas11.com/great-day-live/video/Its-time-for-the-Flyover-Film-Festival-157818585.html

me on a podcast!

Why hello there! It's been a crazy coupla months, hence why I've neglected this little blog. My documentary about My Morning Jacket had its premiere in the city it was made in (Louisville, KY), and I consequently did a lot of press prior to and during the film festival.

Here is one fun piece of press that is 5% about the film and 95% funsense. Thanks to my friend Alex for having me on his podcast. You can check it out here: http://probablynotpodcast.podbean.com/2012/06/12/probably-not-podbomb-4-with-christopher-guetig/

I'll post some of the other press soon.

'one big holiday' to open louisville festival!

One Big Holiday has been selected to open Flyover Film Festival in Louisville! It will screen as part of a shorts program on Thursday 07 June at the Speed Art Museum, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Michael Feld (Director) and I will both be traveling to Louisville for the festival weekend, and are proud to return to the city that made this film possible.

This is sure to sell out, so get your tickets soon! More info to come!

new screening in chicago!

One Big Holiday has been selected to screen at the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival 12-15 April 2012!

This is another great honor and an excellent festival in one of my favorite American cities! Some of the other terrific documentaries that will screen include Don't Follow Me (I'm Lost) about Bobby Bare, Jr. and Uprising: Hip Hop & the LA Riots, narrated by Snoop Dogg.

If you're in Chicago, come on out! You can check out the full schedule and info here: http://cimmfest.org/roots-rock-gods-and-welshmen/

one big holiday page created!

Hello again!

Just wanted to pass along the newishly-created Facespace page for my film One Big Holiday. There are tons of behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot, as well as great photos of the concert by the super-talented Margot Landen. This page will also feature all festival updates and any other general news that the filmmakers would like to share.

We'd love it if you took a second and "liked" the page so you continue to get all the updates. You can visit it here: https://www.facebook.com/onebigholidayfilm

Thanks!

it's festival time!

Life isn't about how many rejections you get, but rather how many acceptances. With that said, I'd like to proudly announce that my little film One Big Holiday has been accepted into its first festival! Thank you to the LA Film+Music Weekend for including us in your 2012 program!

We have some other excitements on the horizon, but for now we are relishing the idea that a public audience of film and music enthusiasts can see My Morning Jacket and the city of Louisville on the big screen. Hooray!

For those of you in Los Angeles, I invite and encourage you to attend the world premiere of One Big Holiday. Visit here for more details: http://www.lafilmweekend.com/one-big-holiday.php

World Premiere: One Big Holiday
LA Film+Music Weekend 2012
Friday 23 March
11:05pm

Downtown Independent Theatre
251 S. Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

doritos commercial!

Doritos Commercial from Christopher Guetig on Vimeo.

This is an unaired commercial produced for the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl Contest last year. The director is a colleague I've worked on several projects with, and most of the cast and crew have also worked together as well. This commercial did not receive enough votes to make it to the finals, and therefore has never aired on TV.

The photo below is the application of dorito bits to my face. Eww.

break a leg!

"Break a leg" is a lucky wish given to a performer prior to a show, something I've said and heard a million times. Whelp, the sentiment has finally come true after all these years. Medically, I have a chip fracture of my right fibula at the ankle, and am in a boot.

Yes, a boot. It looks like the ski boot I wore on new year's day, though I escaped my many falls unscathed that day. I've also been fine on the many long hikes I've been taking in Cabellero Canyon, and have remained safe in the many hard-fought paddle tennis matches I've been playing. So, taking a step down in the backyard to retrieve my laundry from the garage? Boom goes the Guetig!

It sounds a bit comical, though I can assure you the pain is not. Apparently, a chip is the worst kind of break you can have and there's nothing I can really do to help it. I think the doctor prescribed bourbon, ice cream, and movies. At least that's what I heard.

life's highlights!

Life's Highlights from Christopher Guetig on Vimeo.

This is the trailer for a short film I shot two years ago and will be coming out soon, as published on a Brazilian film production website. It stars Randy Fratkin as my boss, whom I confront after I find out he's standing on the ledge of our building with some serious questions about life. It's a film about perspective and how we handle not reaching our goals. The photos below are from the set during shooting.

If you speak portuguese, check out this post about the film in Brazil: http://www.perestroika.com.br/?p=1892

another short film!

Distorted Trade from Christopher Guetig on Vimeo.

This is one of the first films I shot in LA back in 2008. It premiered in February 2009 as part of the Los Angeles Film Collective's We Love Los Angeles Art Show that included films as well as studio art made by local artists.

I play a guy who gets caught up in a bad situation with some bad people. Playing opposite Michael Bayouth (Paranormal Activity) was a lot of fun; he is the highlight of this film for me.

I don't think anyone's seen this film, so I thought I'd dig it up and release it here. Enjoy!

dishnetwork with blockbuster commercial!

And here it is, in all its glory. Apparently, the :30 is airing all over the place, though I've only caught the end of it when I was in Atlanta. But texts, calls, and messages have been raining in from all over the country, so I suppose maybe you've seen it, too. If not, here is the full two-minute version.

As mentioned previously, there is a bit of dancing. With a remote. And some of the outtakes also were apparently good enough to make the final cut - my scene was all improv, and I'm quite happy with it. Enjoy.

one big holiday poster!

i booked a commercial!

After being on avail for a Pepsi/Saturday Night Live spot two weeks ago that I did not book, I came back strong and booked an ad for DishNetwork! The audition was on a Wednesday, fitting Thursday, and shoot on Friday. Bangbangbang. It all happened so fast I didn't have time to tell my mom (hi Mom! I'm still a working actor!). I dunno when it'll run, but there will be innerwebular components as well. I won't give away any secrets, but there's a chance I had to dance during the shoot. If it's not too embarrassing, I'll post it here when it airs.

Also of note, out of 130 actors that were called in for the audition, only two males were chosen; both had beards, and both were from Kentucky. Thank you beard, and thank you Kentucky.

one big holiday screenings in austria and germany!

I had the great fortune to return to Europe yet again this summer to produce an international relations conference for high school students from 42 countries. As one of the directors of the two-week program, my duty was ultimately to ensure the health and safety of all the students and staff, and logistically move 340 of us through five countries. Easy? Nope. Rewarding and memorable? Yep.

There are many highlights of aiding international teenagers in creating life-long memories and promoting global communication within the Jugendkultur, some of which are indescribable within this silly blog. Many students were traveling abroad for the first time and were awakened by the sheer beauty of Gothic architecture, the spices of Hungarian foods, and the magic of a city untouched by war.

A trip like this, especially when it's the first time away from family and friends, juxtaposes the sense of home with a spirit of adventure. This emotion can be found at the heart of my documentary One Big Holiday, and whilst its journey is a world away from workshops on conflict resolution and cross-cultural communication, it shares the inherent sense of what 'home' means to all of us. At no time do we appreciate where we come from more than when we're away from it.

I had the opportunity to screen the film in both Vienna and Munich, and could not have been prouder to see my hometown of Louisville on the screen in front of colleagues and strangers from around the world. Let's hope this is just the beginning.