Interview with Director: Ante Novakovic (Bloodline Killer)
Exclusive Interview with Director, Ante Novakovic. Bloodline Killer is out now.
Hello, it’s an honor to do this interview. Please tell us about the film, and how you got involved?
Ante- Likewise, absolute pleasure and honor to be interviewed. The film is about Moira Cole, a matriarch and survivor of a series of brutal murders of her family members at the hands of her deranged cousin Lee Morris. Trauma, fear and the lurking notion that a deadly fate is lingering surrounds her and her two sons as they grapple with inner and exterior demons in order to survive the past coming for them in the present. The project was brought to me and my producing partner Rob Simmons by the Gaudioso Twins (James and Anthony) they wrote the screenplay and after our initial meeting they asked me if I wanted to come on board as a Director on the project. With an affinity for all things horror and slasher I said yes.
What was it like directing the cast?
Ante- It was a tremendous honor and opportunity to work with such a talented cast, Shawnee Smith, Tyrese Gibson, Taryn Manning, Bruce Dern, Drew Moerlein, James Gaudioso, Montanna Gillis, Kresh Novakovic, Adam Shippey, Sal Rendino. Shawnee in the role of Moira Cole was the exact synergy we were looking for in bringing that character to life. She immediately brought an intrinsic depth and nuanced layers to the role.
What are you working on next?
Ante- There are a few projects in the works, two of which are horror films. One titled Truck Stop, it’s about a war vet turned long haul trucker becomes the focus of a Govt. experiment that unearths an occult entity at a mom and pop truck stop. Then there’s another project titled Man Checks Into a Hotel, it’s about a a compulsive gambler caught in a web of debt is given the opportunity to save his family from a gruesome fate by giving up his heart for transplant surgery.
Did you face any challenges while filming?
Ante- I guess the challenges were or rather are the given challenges of working within the independent film realm. There’s always the balance beam of time and budget and being able to straddle both in order to get the most out of the process in order to give the film everything it needs.
What would you like everyone that watches the film to know from your perspective?
Ante- I love the audience having their own experience with the film and knowing they are very much an important part of the whole filmmaking process and am thrilled to share Bloodline Killer with them.
