Simply Kentucker, an interview with movie director Kentucker Audley

Kentucker Audley is an actor and filmmaker who has been described by Paste Magazines as “One of American independent cinema´s most vital figures” and has played leading roles in movies as Sun Don´t Shine (Amy Seimetz) and Queen of Earth (Alex Ross Perry) or the The Sacrament (Ti West). Audley has also directed films as Open Five, “one of Top 25 Films of 2010”(The New Yorker) and runs NoBudge, an online screening venue for new indie films. After watching his highly praised film “Christmas, Again” (Charles Poekel), I decided to contact this guy and know more his project “Simply Silvio” and his views on cinema and Street Art.
 

Tell us about you. How do you define yourself as a film-maker or actor?
I was a filmmaker first. That was where my passion began. I fell in love with indie films in high school and wanted to become a director like my heroes Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, and others. I fell into acting accidentally because I couldn’t find the right actor for my first film, so I just played the part. After that, friends started asking me to act in their films, which I was very hesitant to do, but I’m glad I did because it took me out of my comfort zone. And made me a better director.
What are your influences or source of inspiration as a film-maker/actor?
Of course I’ve been influenced by great films over the years. Bottle Rocket was the first film that I was obsessed with. And then I got into Jim Jarmusch, Cassevettes, Godard, and many more… But I also take a lot of inspiration from my own life, my friendships and family. In my twenties my main themes were personal apathy, discontentment, and relationship problems. The older I get, the more drawn I am to tackling larger issues of society. So I look to the way systems work, what problems I see in my country, and the world. How do I make a statement about these issues? How do I exist in relation to the world? It’s becoming harder for me to justify making small-scale personal films, in a world of racism, greed, and extremism.

Some movie critics say you´re a vital figure in US independent cinema today, however time ago you promoted the campaign “stop making independent films”.  Do you think the tag “independent cinema” is over-used just for marketing reasons and some filmmakers just try to attract some kind of public?
There’s a glut of indie movies, but it’s the same with other forms of media, a general over-saturation of all entertainment options on the internet. I think it’s a good problem, but it’s worth exploring how we expose audiences to the right films. I don’t think the tag of indie film means much these days, other than communicating that it’s not a Hollywood studio film. But I think it’s important for theaters and distribution companies to continuously update how they curate and present their films, so it doesn’t become hopeless for audiences to know what to pay attention to.

Some US film-makers, like Woody Allen, enjoy greater popularity in Europe and are more popular here that in US. Could that be your case?
I’m not sure what kind of audience I have in Europe or around the world. My heart is in independent film so I gravitate towards the edgy and challenging work, rather than the mainstream films or TV shows. I’m not good at appealing to a wide audience, but I’m happy to exist on the fringes.
As an actor, you mainly had leading roles in psychological horror and thriller movies like Sun don´t shine or The Sacrament, however as a film-maker your movies Open Five, Open Five 2 and also your next project Symply Silvio explore the comedy genre. Can we say there´s an evolution in the topics that interest you? 
I would say I’m usually drawn to comedy more than anything. I like to inject a sense of humor into everything I do, even in a thriller like Sun Don’t Shine. I was never a big horror film buff. But whatever the genre, I love working with talented directors. I’ve been very fortunate to work with some great ones, like Ti West, Amy Seimetz, Alex Ross Perry, and Joe Swanberg.

 
 
 

Have you ever visited Amsterdam / Europe? What was your experience here?
I’m never been to Amsterdam unfortunately. I’ve been to Switzerland and Poland for film festivals. I’m really itching to travel more in the area. Amsterdam holds a mythical quality to me, it always has since I was young. In my mind it’s this magical place that goes by its own rules and rhythms. I was always drawn to it for that.
What do you think about European film industry?
I don’t know much about the industry side of it, but I’ve been a huge fan of European aesthetics over the years. I think I have an inferiority complex when it comes to Europe. I think Europeans are all smarter and more civilized than I am. It’s probably true.

We are a Dutch foundation based in Amsterdam that supports Street Art. What do you think about Street Art? Are you familiar with Street Art and artists in your city?
My first experience with street art was Shepard Fairey’s Obey stickers back in 2000. This is the same story for most suburban American kids, I think. I didn’t realize the effect it had on me until many years later. I think that’s the power of great street art. You can notice it and not realize how much of an impression it’s making on you. When you make a connection, it transports you back to a physical place. Traditional gallery art doesn’t have that potential.
I don’t follow the scene closely, but I have an outsider’s appreciation of it. I just discovered a NYC street artist named Aaron Li-Hill whose work I really like. It has a cinematic quality to it, motion and other-worldliness. It’s based in realistic representations of people and animals but with developing frames, it’s really interesting to see this large.