An American Thief Spotlight

Today’s film spotlight focuses on the feature film An American Thief directed by Travis Ketzak.

What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?

The title is An American Thief. I wanted a title that clearly stated what the film would be about (a thief) but adding a cultural adjective to it adds an element of subjectivity, which plays into the film’s themes as well.

Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.

This movie is actually based off of my first short film that I made two years ago, The Robbed. It’s about a bank robber holed up in a safe house after a heist and reconciling with a long lost love while waiting for the heat to die down. I was really inspired by a line from Shakespeare’s Othello, which goes “the robbed that smiles steals something from the thief.” I love blurring the lines between the roles that characters play, and in the case of my movie, that translated to questioning who the thief really was, symbolically.

Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?

My movie is about the desperation that follows a botched heist, so obviously Reservoir Dogs was a huge influence. I also drew a lot of inspiration from Drive, primarily with the atmosphere and focus on the interwoven love story. The music was primarily inspired by the music of Nightcrawler. I love the melancholy, almost dreamlike quality that the electric guitar in Nightcrawler’s main theme provides, and I knew a similar vibe would be perfect for my movie. Finally, a film called Chlorine on YouTube was incredibly inspiring to me, because it proved to me just how accessible filmmaking is these days.

What is the goal of the film for you?

I really just want this movie to exist in the world. I’m not worried about getting awards or making money off of it, I just want people to see it and to learn from it as I move forward in my filmmaking career. I’ve been really inspired by the Folk Filmmaking movement on YouTube and I really just want to share my vision and voice with as many people as possible. If you’re unfamiliar just search for Folk Filmmaking on YouTube, there’s a whole world of feature films that are totally free and made by genuinely independent filmmakers that aren’t trying to gatekeep the industry.

What has the journey been like getting the film into production?

I had been trying to get this story nailed down for a couple of years before I finally wrote a version of the script that I was happy with. I produced it independently and paid for it out of my own pocket, so I didn’t really have to worry about getting it produced. That being said, there were still plenty of mental barriers to get over, mostly in the form of imposter syndrome and burnout. I didn’t go to film school and haven’t worked on any professional film shoots, and I started my journey alone during the pandemic, so it’s been very difficult to take myself seriously. At the end of the day, though, you just have to take a risk and go with it.

One thing you learned from this project?

No matter how much time you think you need for a shoot, plan for more. Also, no matter how much fake blood you think you need for a scene, use more. Two things, sorry.

How can folks find you and your film online?

My film can be found on my YouTube channel, Parting Glass Pictures. You can also follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook under the same name.

Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?

The best advice I can give you is to just trust yourself and your creative vision. The biggest obstacle I faced was my own insecurity. Getting over that is easier said than done, but once you do, you’ll realize that you’re a filmmaker and you know what the hell you’re doing.

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