HOWELL – The actors strike may have delayed the premiere of Kevin Interdonato’s film “The Bastard Sons” but he was used to delays and nothing would deter him.
The film was originally set to shoot in New Jersey back in 2007 by filmmaker Glenn Rodriguez with Interdonato playing the lead. Funding fell through and the story was shelved but they remained in touch through the years and worked on several projects.
During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 Interdonato reached out to Rodriguez about re-writing the film. Several months later, joined by Joe Sernio, they began the process of pre-production, and committed to finally making the movie after 16 years.
Interdonato was born and raised in New Jersey, growing up in a hard-working, blue-collar family. He played many sports throughout his youth while growing up in Howell. He graduated from Howell High School in 1997 and joined the Army National Guard at 18.
His older brother Dennis was a Drill Sergeant in the Army. Prior to that, they served together in the same Army National Guard unit, in Toms River. His father owns a construction business and his mother is a pre-school teacher.
Local actor/writer/producer Kevin Interdonato in a scene from his soon to be released film “The Bastard Sons.” (Photo courtesy Kevin Interdonato)
His first acting class was taken on a whim in NYC while attending Brookdale Community College which he left to pursue his studies.
The actor, writer and producer is a combat veteran of the Iraqi War (OIF II) in Baghdad, Iraq, 2004-2005. He served under the 759 Military Police, and 1st Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team. His National Guard Company (Charlie Company) were known in Baghdad as “The Sadr City Dogs.”
Interdonato told The Howell Times, “The Bastard Sons is a story about two bastard brothers that retaliate against the family when their father is killed. It is a small-town story and I wanted to make sure the stakes were extremely high in order to make it interesting and exciting.”
“It is a modern-day gangster story and realistic. It is definitely a Jersey film which is what I wanted. I love shooting in my home state as an actor and filmmaker. We also shot in the Poconos. In New Jersey we shot in Asbury Park, Toms River, Bloomfield and Wall,” he added.
Interdonato skipped the film festival route and described it “as pretty rough around the edges and intense and is not exactly the kind of films festivals like showing. My interest with anything is the people I know and grew up with wanting to see that film. That is my audience.”
“I am a little Hollywood snobbish so it is for my people – my core audience. It took a year to plan and year to produce. When you work with smaller budgets you have to overcompensate for prep. You have to do things because you don’t have the money to hire people to do it,” he added.
He said from getting the props and locations casting and everything, “I just focused on all that stuff before we started shooting. The production was almost all local. Frankie Edgar – a UFC legend – it is his first movie. Roger Mathews from “Jersey Shore” fame, it is his first movie. Actors from all over New Jersey from Trenton to up north and even some non-actors, friends of mine from high school who came in too.”
“I actually liked working with non-actors on it because it is a very realistic film and it lent itself to the tone of the movie. I am an actor but started creating films several years ago and it fulfilled something inside me to be able to tell a story as well as a filmmaker. I am obsessed with human behavior and the reality of situations. Explosions don’t do it for me and I really wanted to make a film with a very simple story with very high stakes,” Interdonato said.
“I wanted to push a needle to see how far I could go and stay within the reality of what could actually happen if this was to be true,” he said.
His first film role was in 2002 in “Never Among Friends.”
“That was the first film I ever had. During the filming I auditioned for ‘The Sopranos’ and booked a role on that and then things started going. Within two years of that time things were moving pretty quick. I was supposed to go back to ‘The Sopranos’ but was working out of the National Guard in Toms River and that is when I got activated to go to Baghdad.”
“I did a tour and I wasn’t sure I even wanted to act anymore after that, but slowly but surely – acting which is my passion and true love – is what pulled me out of it and I started working my way back into it.”
Telling a story as filmmaker has been very rewarding for Interdonato. “As an actor you are a spoke in the wheel. I had no control over anything and I did enough films where I gave everything I had and then I’d see the movie and be slouching in my chair in the theater as the movie didn’t come out that great.”
“I felt I had more in me and started writing more and ‘The Bastard Sons’ is my directorial debut. It is a tough racket and not as glamorous as people think it is. I work non-stop but no complaints, it is what I want to do,” he added.
“The Bastard Sons” was picked up by Vertical Entertainment, one of the leading distributors in the movie business. The film scored a limited theatrical release and VOD release on January 5.
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