The roles of actor, producer and director make up quite a creative cocktail. And they are all part of the mix for Atlanta-based Kevin Saunders, owner and CEO of Aristrolle’s Quest Productions.
Eight years ago, Saunders moved to the Peach State from Gaithersburg, Maryland, and settled in North Decatur. Ever since, he has been adding new ingredients to his repertoire.
He appeared in projects like the FX series “Atlanta” with Donald Glover, Marvel’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” in 2021, the 2022 thriller “Juror No. 2,” co-produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, and the 2024 Peacock series “Hysteria!”
Georgia Entertainment sat down with Saunders to learn what makes Georgia the ideal place to work, forge connections and grow in his craft.
GE: Tell us about your work and the many hats you’re wearing.
Saunders: I do wear a lot of different hats. As you’re coming up in the industry at this point, everyone tends to wear a lot of different hats, but my main forte is in front of the camera.
I’m definitely an actor. That is my bread and butter, and that’s my true passion.
As I’ve come up in the industry, I wanted to see myself [in projects]that maybe I wouldn’t normally be cast for. So I started helping out friends who were making films and other film partners, and I fell into a producer role, getting my hands dirty with producing and project managing.
In terms of directing, it was definitely something I always liked, a cool thing where I would love to see this world made in a certain way. And I’ve fallen more into the director space now.
I’m currently working on a few projects that I’ll be directing. And it’s interesting because if there’s a 1A [in my lineup], that’s acting, but directing has become like a 1B for me. I love them both.
There’s obviously a lot of similarities, but there’s also a lot of differences. There’s a different type of pressure and a different type of creative attack in how you’re approaching the film, or character, or the story at hand.
So, [this dual role has]really become a passion of mine.
I came up in the industry wanting to create a voice for not only myself but for other people, and to really help other people’s visions come to light.
This production company, Aristrolle’s Quest Productions, actually started as a thing that I was doing with friends. And now it has gotten to a point where it’s a name [in]the professional space.
GE: What’s it like leading the company, which is another hat you wear?
Saunders: Leadership is something that I believe not a lot of people necessarily want to do, but are sometimes called to do.
I felt that like that became the case for me in this space is, being a producer and a director and kind of leading the brigade with filmmaking in the independent space.
If this is my production company, this is my name, then how can I help elevate others? So you also bring other people’s expertise into this space as a production company, while also in tandem growing their individual businesses, as well.
That’s where we’re at now. I’m doing things on my end with acting, of course, and directing and I typically write to direct my own pieces.
We band together as a group, and I tell the team all the time that as we are growing as individuals, we can now bring back to the company or the team and use all of our expertise. It’s like a cycle, in and out, and so that’s where we are now. And my goal is for this to be something that continues to grow.
As the professional space gets even bigger and we’re getting in so many doors, I tell people all the time, as I’m getting in doors as an actor, it’s not just me that’s getting in. If I’m getting in, that means that’s your project, your idea, and that’s an opportunity for you, as well. That’s how I’ve been attacking it, in the best way I know how.
GE: What is it about metro Atlanta and Georgia that’s a good fit for your craft and for your company?
Saunders: I was just talking about this with my film partner the other day. When I came here, I had other creatives and friends that I knew who went to New York and went to LA, and being from the DC area, New York was like a second home for me because it’s right there. And so it looked more appetizing in that way.
But something just kept calling me to Atlanta. I call it divinity, you know, but I was like, I’m supposed to be in Atlanta.
And so I look back now, after eight years, and so much that has happened. Now I have a production company. Looking back on some of the projects that we’ve been able to develop, what we are currently in development with, and how it’s shaped things.
It’s a special thing that we have here in Atlanta. There’s a lot of growing pains, obviously, with the industry and where we’re at right now. But it’s a beautiful time and a beautiful space with what Atlanta has to offer. And it’s been a thing where now I don’t really see myself going anywhere, because I want to be a part of that wave of fundamental projects being bred, built and distributed out of Atlanta, and being a part of that wave.
GE: What projects are you currently working on?
Saunders: So, as a team, we have a few things going on. One of them is with a creative director who’s part of the team. He just finished a documentary in Tanzania. That’s in post-production right now.
Then we have a proof of concept for a feature, as well, that’s currently in development. It’s a comedy that I wrote and I’m going to be directing, as well. And I have a writing partner that’s helping me with that.
One of my other partners on the team is working on getting his feature film distributed now, as well. It’s called “Switch,” and that’s actually in motion right now.
We shot the proof of concept at the beginning of 2024. We have a bit of funding for that, and looking to lock in a director, as well.
So, we have our hands on a bunch of different things. And one of the things that’s really important to goes back to what I said earlier, where it’s like, you don’t plan on being the person to necessarily lead the brigade in that way.
There’s also a family documentary that I am essentially in charge of, and I’m really excited about that back in Maryland, where my family has a lot of rich in the Montgomery County area, both post slavery and during slavery, as well. And so, we’re in development of that too. So we have our hands on a little bit of everything.
GE: What are some of the resources you’re drawing from around Atlanta—whether it’s businesses or people, an organization, or even the overall creative collaborative vibe of the city?
Saunders: Oh, it’s everything. It’s a joy to be in a film city here. So I really don’t see myself leaving because it’s such a fundamental place and I have so many things at my fingertips.
I have a buddy who runs a production company in the DC area, and although there’s films and things in DC, it’s very different.
Here, I could call a buddy of mine, Phil Stevens who runs Bed Head, and I can get an Alexa 35 [ARRI Super 35 camera] easily, just like that. And I can also call two or three other people, like the folks at Guerrilla Gear, and I can call other people and start crewing up.
Right now, a lot of us [have been]desperate for work. But even when it’s busy, I know that I can have a list of very reliable, very talented people, whether it be actors, gaffers, grips, other directors, producers that are in the space.
And then on top of that, what Atlanta has that’s very different from other places is that other places don’t have this level of camaraderie.
Anywhere [else]in film or entertainment, there’s obviously competition, but there’s a different level of camaraderie here that I’ve seen that is very unique to Atlanta.
I’ve seen that in the acting space, and I’ve seen that in the directorial space, and in the producing space—where people are really very giving and willing to help others succeed. Because at the end of the day, we’re doing this in Atlanta.
So let’s show out for Atlanta. Let’s support Atlanta.
And I think that’s very beautiful and unique, and it makes you want to be a part of that foundation.
Right now, it’s as though all the big decisions are made in LA and New York, right? That’s what people are saying and there’s truth to it. But what a beautiful place it would be if we are one of—if not the—places to be able to do that.
I know that’s dreaming big, but I still think that with where we’re going, and since I’ve been here for eight years and have seen where we can go within the next 10, there’s a lot of potential here. So I think we just need people to [continue to]root here even more.
GE: What do you look for in collaborators? What are some of the key characteristics that draw you in?
Saunders: Passion is No. 1. I think passion really speaks volumes when you take on a project.
It’s not really so much about the money, for me. Obviously, there’s business and you’re always going to have to pay and live by those rules. But I still think that passion speaks volumes.
When I look at an artist and they are truly, truly embedded in what they’re doing, then it’s infectious. It helps me want to see how I can aid in bringing a project to life.
I think with that, and of course hard work, you can really create something organic and magical—something that you may not even have originally planned for. With passion you will have organic stories that are very representative of people and that connect with people.
It makes you ask, how can I help propel this, or whoever’s creating this, and help their voice be heard?
GE: It sounds as though you’re seeking to be a conduit for people, and for their creative expression. What words of wisdom can you share with other filmmakers, up-and-comers?
Saunders: I definitely try to be a conduit, for sure.
It was such a tough time in the industry after the strikes, and things changed everywhere. And that’s kind of shaking out and playing out.
I’d say, be bold, be courageous, be steadfast, and above that and with that, I would say bet on yourself. Bet on yourself. I’m a kid from Gaithersburg, Maryland, you know?
I was recently having a conversation with a guy that I’ve known since I was 16, and I said something about Clint Eastwood and just kind of the direction that I’m going with my production company and how he runs his productions and things. And my friend stopped me for a second. And he’s like, “I just want you to know how crazy this is. I want you to really think about what you just said.”
He’s right. If you would have told me eight years ago when I was driving down here with all my stuff in my car that you’re going to work with Clint Eastwood, you’re going to work with Kevin Bacon, and you’re going to work with all these people. Well, you just don’t know.
So I say, bet on yourself. Because when you do, even if the world around you feels like it’s caving in and it feels like no one’s on your side—the ups and downs we all have—when you bet on yourself and you believe, it’s like the world has no choice but to bend to what you are destined to do.
If you make that film and it doesn’t do well and it’s a bad film, okay. If the film’s great and it doesn’t do well, okay. You take from it, you learn, you grow, and you just keep going because at some point it will work. It will open up doors.
This industry is definitely a marathon, not a sprint.
