BIG TRIP is a fictional drama/comedy feature film about a group of high school buddies reuniting to see their friend one last time. They kill time on an overnight road trip by chatting about everything from sponges to college life; however, their intimate, naturalistic conversations uncover the separation caused by time and philosophical differences. It’s impossible to watch them without thinking about our own relationships lost to time.
Writer, Director, Editor - Jared Berger
Director Jared Berger got started making movies with friends at a young age in McKinney, Texas before moving to Austin to attend film school at the University of Texas at Austin. From there, Jared enhanced his storytelling capabilities through post-production on various projects including two seasons of the locally-aired riot!, premiering on Amazon and local FCC run station TSTV. He continued his focus on original work by writing, directing, and editing web series Bach Pad and short film There Will Be Pixels. From there, he wrote Big Trip during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jared is drawn towards relatable stories that maximizes the expressive potential of cinema. On the side, Jared is also a chess lover, Criterion addict, and holds a Computer Science certificate.
Jared is currently based in LA and working on other projects that tell personal stories through relatable characters. His next project will be a narrative short film aiming to personalize the horror genre in this manner.
Producer - Sam Roberts
Sam Roberts is a producer who loves original storytelling, creating great art, and collaborating on some darn good genuine filmmaking. From running her own music video production company to producing award-winning short films, Sam has had her hand in the production of a wide range of projects.
“I was drawn towards this project because I’m such a huge fan of the road trip genre. The growth these characters experience over one night, one journey, and one long road is substantial.” - Sam
Peter - Matthew Graham Wagner
Matthew Graham Wagner is a professional actor based out of Austin, TX represented by Pastorini-Bosby Talent Agency. With a B.F.A. in Acting from Southern Methodist University’s acclaimed acting program, Matthew plays the role of the always responsible, yet reluctant participant Peter, making sure the rest of the gang stays safe on their Big Trip. While certainly not appreciative of the antics his friends put him through, Peter’s unwillingness to let his friends venture into danger alone is one of the many qualities Matthew resonates with throughout the film.
“Meeting and working with everyone on this project was an absolute blast and I hope to work again with this group of people many times in the future!” - Matthew
