Interview: Keith Sutliff -Director (The Mason Brothers)

Please tell us about the process of writing and directing “The Mason Brothers?”

Keith: I started writing it in November of 2015. I came up with an idea because I’ve always loved heist movies. I’ve always wanted to tell the story about a heist film and make a heist film. I came up with the idea of these two brothers who are a tight knit group of brothers.

When you were shooting the film, did you face any challenges considering you wrote, directed and you act in the film?

Keith: It is a lot to keep track of because I was also in the movie so it’s a big challenge balancing all those hats. I think it is good for me to know. Now moving forward and doing another one in the future. I know what’s involved and how much work is involved.

Did you share any type of advice with the cast and what was it like working together?

Keith: It was great! We had a great cast, easy to work with and we did a lot of rehearsals prior. So they knew what I wanted and what I was looking for as far as acting performances. It was pretty easy to direct. They are great actors.

Do you think there will be a sequel or will you write a possible spin-off?

Keith: It could. I don’t want to spoil the movie for people who haven’t seen it but there are a lot of people that die in the movie obviously. One of the main guys is left but I could make it into a sequel if I wanted to or a spin-off of a certain character or even a prequel.

Who inspired you professionally?

Keith: My favorite movies come from James Cameron, “Aliens” and “Terminator 2.” They are one of my top two favorite movies of all-time. He is an inspiration. Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott, Brian De Palma, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez and Kathryn Bigelow.

Do you have a favorite film from Robert Rodriguez?

Keith: I do, “From Dusk till Dawn” it’s great! I like it, I love it! It’s great.

Did you always know you wanted to be a director?

Keith: Yes, I knew I wanted to when I was young because I’ve always loved movies. I knew at some point I did. I wanted to get into filmmaking.

What do you want to say to the fans?

Keith: You know this is my first feature. I think that if people like this, there is more to come. I have a lot of other scripts that I want to do and I plan to make. I appreciate if people like my work and that means a lot to me. If they follow my work, stay tuned and keep watching. I really appreciate the support. I have my premiere coming up and it is great.

What are you working on next?

Keith: I have two scripts that are done. I would like to get one of the two made however if not I have another one. There is another one I want to do called, “West 32^nd Street I want to do with a higher budget. It is a crime thriller.

You wear a lot of hats including producing, writing, directing and acting. Is one more challenging than another?

Keith: Yes, producing by far. The amount of work that goes into it is a lot. You have to be dedicated to the project and be on top of stuff every single day you are working on it.