An Interview With Actor-Writer-Director Keith Sutliff

February 28, 2017

Written by Kelli Marchman McNeely

Kelli Marchman McNeely is the owner of HorrorFuel.com. She is an Executive Producer of "13 Slays Till Christmas" which is out on Digital and DVD and now streaming on Tubi. She has several other films in the works. Kelli is an animal lover and a true horror addict since the age of 9 when she saw Friday the 13th. Email: horrorfuelinfo@gmail.com

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Keith Sutliff made his full length directorial debut with the upcoming crime thriller ‘The Mason Brothers‘, set to premiere this April. Sutliff was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about the film.
 
Horror Fuel: “As an actor, writer, and director, how did you get your start in the industry?”
KS: “It really started when I came to Los Angeles. I started doing stunt work. Like most people, I got into acting. From there I went on a little hiatus for about six or seven months. I’ve always been interested in filmmaking and I’ve always wanted to make my own content. However, I didn’t know how to go about doing it So I went to a trade school for filmmaking and graduated. I started doing short films there. Then I continued making short films after I got out. I opened my company, KS Pictures LLC., and made my first feature film, The Mason Brothers.”
 


 
Horror Fuel: “How does it feel to be preparing for your first full length film seeing release?”
KS: “It’s exciting. It’s definitely the biggest accomplishment I’ve ever had and the hardest thing I’ve ever done after all the preparation. I started writing this thing back in November of 2015. It will be a year and a half by the time it is released in April. From pre-production to production to post-production there was so much planning that went into it. There were so many working parts that if one thing fails it could crash the whole project. It’s very exciting to have this release in April.
 
Horror Fuel: “So far, you have six titles to your credit, all but one seem to have a crime element. Is that your preferred genre?”
KS: “It is. It’s the genre I love. I’ve always loved it. From watching Point Break, Inception, Reservoir Dogs, Heat, Drive, all those movies. Those are my types of movies and they are all in that crime genre. That’s why I write crime thrillers.”
 
Horror Fuel: “What started your love of crime thrillers?”
KS: “I think watching those movies as a kid growing up. Mob movies are cool too, but the bank robbery movies. I’ve always loved those movies and making them is something I have always wanted to do. I’ve always loved them.
 
Horror Fuel: “What can you tell us about The Mason Brothers?”
KS: “It’s about a group of professional robbers, bank robbers, who live in Los Angeles. This is their last big heist before they leave town. There are three brothers and this guy named Gage. Gage has been with them for about a year and they consider him family. They plan this big heist to hit a bank for $10 million, but they get set up. Usually they get in and out in under three minutes, but these guys come in at the same time and there’s a shoot out and one of the brothers get shot. They are trying to figure out who set them up and who the three guys are that showed up. It’s ultimately a story about revenge.”
 
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Horror Fuel: “What was your favorite part about making The Mason Brothers?”
KS: “I would say filming as a whole because it is cool to take something you wrote and to have it come to life on set. To have all the actors, the cinematographer, the sound guy all doing their job, all working as a team. It’s cool to bring that movie to life, something you made. As a whole I think that was the best experience. However, to be on set with the people,  I had a great cast, a great team, I really enjoyed working with them. They did a great job. Everyone was really passionate about the movie.”
 
Horror Fuel: “What was it like winning the “Best Action” award at the Action of Film International Film Festival for your short film?”
KS: “It was a great experience. I was shocked and it was great, one of the best feelings ever. It was for my short film Suite Case City. I really didn’t expect to win. I think having the premiere for ‘The Mason Brothers’ this April at the Egyptian theater will be an even better feeling.”
 
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Horror Fuel: “Are you working on anything now?”
KS: “I am finishing post-production. Right now I am lining up theaters for the release. So, I’m working on that. That’s taking up a lot of my time. I am writing my next feature. I hope to finish that in the Spring. It’s called The Refuge. It is about these converging criminals the are all headed to one area, but that’s all I can tell you right now.”
 
Horror Fuel: “If you had to pick one, what would your favorite crime themed horror movie be?”
KS: “Wow, lets see…I would say Saw II. It’s one of my favorites. I did see Don’t Breathe. That was a good one too. You know why I think Saw II was great, it all mainly takes place in this house. I respect that as a filmmaker. It is hard to make a film in a condensed area. You have to be more creative. It was a great movie in general though. It kept me on guard. It was exciting.”
 
For more on ‘The Mason Brothers’ check out our write-up (HERE) . Be sure to follow Keith Sutliff on Facebook, ‘The Mason Brothers’ on Facebook and visit the official website for updates. Follow KS Pictures LLC on Twitter and visit the website for news on other upcoming films.

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