I recently got to interview Rob Fitz, the filmmaker responsible for the critically-acclaimed film, God of Vampires. Rob, a New Hampshire native, went to The School of Visual Arts in New York City to pursue his lifelong passion of creating horror films. Ever since Rob was a young kid, he has been in love with horror films so much so that he would often sneak out of bed late at night to watch Gates of Hell and Dawn of the Dead even at the early age of 10. This love of horror films translates into the continued success of Gods of Vampires and his latest project, The Pact, a film about teen suicide and the undead.
Shaun: For those who don’t know, what is the elevator pitch of God of Vampires?
Rob Fitz: God of Vampires is a cross between a Hong Kong action film and
Evil Dead, about the Kiang-Shi or Chinese vampires. Professional hit man, Frank Ng, becomes hunted by these vampires when he attempts to kill a Chinese drug lord that is in-fact the evil Kiang Shi master.
Shaun: How was the film received?
Rob Fitz: God of Vampires was well received as it got a limited theatrical release and an international festival run. It’s for fans of horror films and I have gotten 95% positive feedback from people watching… even on the internet, which is miraculous.
Shaun: How long did it take to shoot?
Rob Fitz: God of Vampires took about six years to shoot as we had very little money and everyone volunteered their time. It was also a very ambitious project and we toiled over every last detail. Of course then it took another four years to get it released!
Shaun: What were the challenges and advantages to filming independently?
Rob Fitz: Independent filmmaking is difficult in itself especially no budget filmmaking. The project becomes a labor of love otherwise what’s the point. The big advantage of this is because you answer to no one, no one can tell you what to do. Those guys in Hollywood can’t say that most of the time!
Shaun: What is next for God of Vampires?And what’s next for you?
Rob Fitz: God of Vampires is continuing to defy the odds and is going to be on TV. April 30th at 8pm, God of Vampires will air on My TV New England. It will also be on Netflix On Demand soon as well! Not many of these no budget horror films get to this point so I’m going to take my labor of love as far as possible! The next film I am doing is a zombie movie about these five kids who form a suicide pact. We are in development right now.
If you have Netflix or On Demand, look out for God of Vampires. Also, in the future look out for The Pact. Check out the website www.godofvampires.com
