BLOOD IN THE SNOW

FAKE BLOOD ISN’T FAKING AROUND

Published

6 years ago

January 30, 2018

Mike Kovac and Rob Grant in Fake Blood

It was really unfortunate that we were unable to interview both Rob Grant and Mike Kovac during last year’s Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival. When FERNTV heard about the opportunity to have a one on one with Rob Grant we could not leave this stone unturned. Fake Blood is the film that is buzzing around the film circuit which focuses on both Rob Grant and Mike Kovac who receive a creepy fan video for their previous film Mon Ami. The video motivates the two to investigate the responsibility of filmmakers in portraying violence in movies. It has been a while since we have seen an original and crafty film like that of Fake Blood. It does in fact bring up a lot of conversations to the mix about different topics that this this film touches upon. FERNTV spoke to director Rob Grant to initiate our first conversation.

FERNTV: The film definitely crosses many genres but how would you classify this film?

Rob: We really struggled with how best to describe it ourselves but I really like calling it a ‘Docu-Thriller’.

FERNTV: So when I was watching this film…I was trying to figure out if it was real. I went on IMDB looking for the film Mon Ami and it was messing with my head. Can you comment on how this film really messes with the audience’s head?

Rob: Mike Kovac and I are indeed struggling filmmakers and did unfortunately receive a creepy fan video from our previous film, Mon Ami. I tried to ignore it but it kept bothering me that we may have some responsibility with what we put out there. Once our producer Mike Peterson heard about it, he suggested we try making a movie exploring that further. Due to non-disclosure agreements I can’t reveal too much more but can say that I hope audiences consider what happens when you get lost and blur the lines between reality and fantasy.

FERNTV: What were some of the challenges in this film?

Rob: We put ourselves in a few positions in this film where we weren’t sure what the outcome would be so planning was probably our biggest challenge. We also learned a lot about documentary fair use laws and how to work that into the film to help clarify certain ideas and points that were made.

FERNTV: Tell us why you wanted to get into the film industry?

Rob: My Dad came home from work with a vhs camcorder when I was very young and right away I knew it was what I wanted to pursue. I’ve been very fortunate to get to work on projects on both the studio and indie sides, and I’ve found the common link to making great projects and great people is just an enthusiasm to entertain and tell interesting stories.

FERNTV: For those who are up and coming in the film industry, what kind of advice would you shed upon them?

Rob: Resilience and persistence. I’ve been doing this for a long time and still feel I’m in the early stages of my career. Learn to be okay with hearing NO a lot while still pushing forward with the projects you believe in and are passionate about because you can’t rely on anyone else to champion your ideas.

FERNTV: How does it feel to be part of Blood in the Snow last year.

Rob: BITS was such a blast! They really championed Fake Blood, and I think thats why our screening there was such a success. Everyone was super enthusiastic and accommodating and I think they did a great job at cultivating some fun and challenging films

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTit5tJ5XYM&t=36s

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Fernando Fernandez

Fernando Fernandez is a graduate of Environmental Studies at York University in Toronto. He became interested in entertainment journalism in the late 2000s writing for online startups. He founded FERNTV in 2009 and focused mainly on the film industry. With over a thousand interviews conducted with all walks of life in film, he is still learning as if every day is day one.