Trent Harris is an independent filmmaker based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has directed documentaries, short films and feature-length productions, all of which usually feature surreal plots and oddball main characters.
Harris, who is originally from Salt Lake City, temporarily relocated to Los Angeles in the 1980s, but found the mainstream movie industry frustrating and creatively inhibiting. His one feature film made during this period, Rubin and Ed, has nonetheless gone on to become a cult classic, largely due to the gonzo performance of its star, Crispin Glover. Following the unsatisfying experience of making Rubin and Ed, Harris moved back to Salt Lake City to produce his films independently.
Harris is likely most well-known for his underground classic The Beaver Trilogy, which features three connected short films: One a documentary and the other two fictional. The two fiction-based segments of The Beaver Trilogy star a young Sean Penn and Crispin Glover as the same fictionalized version of the star of the documentary, known as Groovin' Gary.
In addition to filmmaking, Harris has written two books and is both a painter and a sculptor.
As of this date, Harris typically eschews traditional distribution for his feature films, screening them only at festivals before selling them on his official website.
