Savants and Savages Horror Thriller Series

Savants And Savages

About Savants and Savages

"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations."

-- Orson Welles

Writer / Director / Producer's Statement:

Michael Tosner

When I was teaching filmmaking in China in 2017, along with co-producer Evgeniya Radilova, I wrote a short film called “3rd Law” and shot it over a weekend with two of the students in my workshop, at their apartment in Shanghai -> LINK

I thought the premise was great but in this industry, it’s one for the reel, twenty for the meal. (unless you're a nepobaby). Fast forward one pandemic and one awful collaboration that wasted two years, and I found myself in Home Depot buying paint when I noticed Kyra Lee Zanatta doing TikTok videos. As it happened, I was about to do another filmmaking workshop in Ellenville NY with local students. I asked her if she was interested in coming to learn “real filmmaking.” She accepted the invitation, and the resulting short film (shot over two weekends with kids and local talent) is called “The Zombie Sitter” LINK

Her passion to create and willingness to fill any role on set to get the job done made me promise myself to find a more structured and professional opportunity for her.

Enter Creative Producer and part-time AD on this project Jamal Hodge. Jamal had approached me to help produce his brilliant Horror/Romantic Comedy “Take It To The Grave”. Kyra played a role in that film, but in addition, we had access to Alexa Super 35 for an extra day before we were to start shooting “Take IT”. I presented Jamal with a short six-page script entitled “Divergent”, that he loved, and we decided to use our extra day with the Alexa to do a test run of "Divergent". Jamal brought in Clifton Dunn, who became another hugely important piece of the puzzle, to play opposite Kyra. We failed to get all we needed for that short in a single day, but the performance of Kyra Lee Zanatta and Clifton Dunn inspired me to finish reworking it as a feature-length script while constraining myself to only locations, equipment, and key props I had access to. And so the feature-length project was born.

China

Home Depot FInd

Test Run

Jamal

Kyra

Clifton

Reflections from Kyra Lee

Co-Producer / LEAD / HMU / Creative Director

I’m incredibly proud to introduce Savants and Savages, a film that challenged me as an actor and affirmed me as a human being. As a neurodivergent actress on the autism spectrum, stepping into this role meant navigating not only the emotional terrain of the character, but also the very real sensory, communication, and processing challenges that can come with working on a film set. Long days, unpredictable schedules, and intense emotional demands aren’t always designed with autistic performers in mind—but this story was worth stretching for, and I felt seen every step of the way.

What made that possible was the environment our cast and crew intentionally built, led by our writer/director Michael Tosner. From day one, the set was open, collaborative, and grounded in trust. Needs were discussed without judgment, differences were treated as strengths, and curiosity replaced assumptions. That kind of creative safety allowed me to take risks, to be vulnerable on camera, and to bring an authenticity to the performance that I don’t think could exist in a less supportive space. It wasn’t about being “accommodated” so much as being respected as a full creative partner. To be welcomed as a complete collaborator and recognized as a Producer, HMU Artist, and Creative Director on my first feature is an experience I will never forget.

Savants and Savages is a film about extremes—brilliance and brutality, connection and isolation—but it’s also about the quiet courage it takes to exist honestly in a world that isn’t always built for you. I hope audiences feel the care that went into making this film and recognize themselves somewhere in its edges. For me, this project isn’t just a credit (or collection of credits); it’s proof that when storytellers create room for different minds and experiences, the work becomes richer, braver, and far more human.