Meet Mitch McLeod | Director/Writer/Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mitch McLeod and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mitch, how do you think about risk?
It’s important to me to take risks. As a filmmaker, playing things safe has never been something that interested me. If you look back on some of the greatest films and filmmakers throughout the history of cinema you’ll find that very few of them played it safe. Whether it was through their storytelling, casting, or what have you, some of the greatest achievements in cinema have come from filmmakers doing something that they were told they shouldn’t do and, even if they failed in their risk, taking the risk in the first place cemented their ability to succeed or fail on their own terms, and that’s important to me. If I find that I’ve succeeded in something then obviously that’s a very good thing for me, but if I fail I get to do so knowing that I did things the way that I wanted to do them, which is the most significant thing to me because it means that what I do is coming from a place of authenticity. In doing such, even if that thing doesn’t resonate with some, there are others to whom it will, because people are subconsciously drawn to works that come from a place of truth.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Absentia Pictures is a production company based in Dallas, TX that, until recently, mostly served simply as a blanket for myself as a director and producer for my own directorial efforts. While Absentia Pictures has been associated with some shorts here and there over the years, its primary focus has been to create and promote feature films written, directed, and produced by myself. That changed recently when I met writer and director Ezekiel Decker, who made a no budget film called “Dancing With Myself” a few years ago. He was kind enough to give both myself and Jessica Dawn Willis a small role in the film and, much to my delight, the film possessed a great and magical quality that made me want to further explore with Ezekiel what could be done. This led me to reach out to him and, partnered with “Silhouette’s” distributor, finance and produce a feature film with him, the film that turned into “The Woman Under the Stage”. This marks the first film that I’ve produced from the ground up that I didn’t direct, and it’s become a film that I’ve become extraordinarily proud of. At the time of this interview, it’s won three awards and currently sits on Rotten Tomatoes with a critics’ score of 100%. It is available on Amazon Prime, Vudu, Roku, and Tubi.

Before “The Woman Under the Stage”, I directed a feature film called “Silhouette”, which shared similar success. It had a good festival run, picked up several awards, and made a small splash in the underground horror scene.

The budgets for these films were in the low five figures and, to anybody who has never made a film, it’s underselling the process to say that these budgets don’t even qualify as shoestring in the world of filmmaking, so it’s come with its share of challenges. Thankfully, I’ve managed to meet and befriend some amazing and talented people from all spectrums of the industry, both actors and crew, and with these people we’ve managed to defy the odds and create quality films that we’re proud to have put together. It has never been an easy process but a rewarding one.

It’s natural to assume that anybody who makes a film wants to make a good one so perhaps to say that quality is the goal of Absentia Pictures is a little asinine, but that’s the name of the game for us. At the end of the day we want people to see that Absentia Pictures logo and know that they’re in for something special and unique while compromising as little as possible and being proud of the work we create. So far we’ve managed to pull that off.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m what some would call a creature of habit. I like what I like and when I find something that interests me I tend to stick with it for a while. So I’m not sure if I have much to offer in the way of variety but Dallas certainly has its spots that are worth checking out. While I prefer to watch films at Alamo Drafthouse, the Texas Theatre is a spot that any cinephile has to visit at least once, both for its aesthetic and its history. They literally have a wall dedicated to some of the greatest masters of cinema and usually have some sort of classic movie screening on VHS while you’re waiting for the show to start. Additionally, they’re almost always doing a special screening of classic cult films and will usually have some themed cocktails for their presentations.

For drinks, Lakewood Landing is always a great spot to hang out, offering up the perfect dive bar aesthetic while also being the premiere local stop for the Dallas theatre scene.

The Dallas Museum of Art is always a great stop if you’re visiting as well. They’re always offering up some sort of interesting exhibit but if you’re low on cash even their standard tour is worth checking out, offering five stories of historic art.

If you’re looking to cater to nostalgia, the Cidercade is a must see. As you can guess from the name, it’s a local joint that specializes in cider while also serving as an arcade that would please just about anybody’s inner child, with everything from Pacman to Mariokart.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people to whom I could extend a personal shout out that it could almost take up the entire interview. My wife and muse, Jessica Dawn Willis, has been a source of constant support as an actress, writer, confidant, and life partner. She’s both an incredible actress and storyteller, so I’d say it’s completely accurate to say that nothing that I’ve achieved in the last few years would have been the same without her by my side through it all. Another that I have to dedicate some time to is Marc Rouse. Working as an editor, cinematographer, sound designer and, on occasion, a composer on pretty much everything I’ve done over the last decade, Absentia Pictures might not be around without him. I’m proud to call him both a mentor and friend, and even prouder of what we’ve accomplished together as a team.

Matthew Tompkins, who starred with Jessica in our latest production “The Woman Under the Stage”, has also served as a cherished mentor to me as of late across this crazy journey of ours, and I most certainly have to comment on April Dawn Hartman, who starred in my last directorial effort “Silhouette” and has since co-starred in “The Woman Under the Stage” while also serving as a constant voice of support. Together we’ve all formed a solid foundation for Absentia Pictures to move forward and, hopefully, continue creating quality work.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/absentia_mitch

Twitter: @tilliusmitch

Facebook: www.facebook.com/absentiapictures

Image Credits
Joshua Fread Marc Benjamin Rouse