The Postman Always Rings Twice meets Drive in writer-director Armin Siljkovic’s neon-doused indie noir-thriller Death Waits for No Man.
Expected to release late 2017/early 2018, it’s the unnerving and complex chronicle of a neon art collector that seduces a lone drifter into killing her abusive husband.
Black Sails’ Angelique Pretorius headlines a cast that includes Bradley Snedeker, Corey Rieger and Travis Myers.
Some filmmakers, for one reason or another, are forced to direct films outside of their personal interests or preferred genre. Have you been lucky enough to only work within the genre, and your preferred type of film?
For this film, yeah, I guess you can say I was lucky. I wrote and directed and edited the film, so it’s definitely a film that I wanted to make and a story that I wanted to tell.
How long did it take to put together the film – in terms of scripting, financing and casting – before shooting it?
It took about a year to write and rewrite the script, then we spent probably another year finding the funding for the film. During that time, I started on some of the pre-production, like storyboards, the cast, etc.
How long has it been since it was completed?
It’s only been about six months since Death Waits For No Man was completed, so it’s still very fresh in my mind.
Is the film indicative of your original vision for it?
It is. No film is exactly how you pictured it in your head when writing it, but I’m happy with the way the film came out.
Did you have to trim much from it in the editing room?
Yeah, sometimes certain things have to be trimmed for pacing reasons, other things you trim because it didn’t work as well as it did on the page. This is quite common in films — you never really know 100% how things cut together until you’re in the editing room.
How much say did you have in how the film was marketed?
We just started the marketing process with a great team who are working hard to get the word out, and it’s interesting to be a part of and participate in this side of the film.
Do you get to approve poster artwork?
I did, I think we got a great poster artwork that captures the look and feel of the film.
Have you been lucky enough to work with a distributor that involves you in the entire process – right up until release?
We’re just started looking for a distributor through our sales agent, so I’ll have more on that in the future.
Who did you originally intend the film for and have you discovered another segment or demographic that – maybe even to your surprise – enjoys the film just as much?
I originally assumed that the core audience would be people who are into thrillers and film noir. But judging from the screenings we’ve had so far, I think the film reaches a wider audience whom I didn’t expect would enjoy a film like this.
VOD or theater. Where, if you had your choice, would you prefer your movies – not just this latest one, but all of them – be seen?
I think every filmmaker wants their film to be shown on the big screen in front of an audience. Sometimes that’s not possible, but the good news is that with platforms like Netflix, a small indie film can reach a far greater audience than ever before.
Where do you think the future is headed as far as film distribution is concerned?
I think it’ll continue in the direction it’s headed now: more films will premiere on streaming services like Netflix, but I think people will still go to the theater to watch movies on the big screen. That’s just something you can’t get at home, no matter how great your home theater is.
Do all these extra channels and platforms open doors for indie filmmakers?
I think they do. I think ultimately, it’s good for indie filmmakers: they have more platforms than every before and can reach a bigger audience than ever before.
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