When filmmaker Alec Griffen Roth graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in history and a film minor, he dreamed of making movies that felt both grand and deeply personal. Now that dream has become a reality.
Roth’s debut feature, “Billy Knight,” a magically realist drama starring Al Pacino, Charlie Heaton and Diana Silvers, marks his leap from film student to director of a Hollywood production.
Returning to campus this month, Roth sat down with me to discuss the film’s inspiration, his experience working with Pacino and the unconventional marketing strategy that may refine how indie films reach audiences.
A personal story with magical seems
“I always wanted to make something bigger that costs more money,” he told me at lunch. Even early scripts were ambitious, often budgeted at several million dollars.
The turning point came when two Texas financiers responded to a story that could be made on a smaller scale and when Roth’s dream casting idea remained at the top of his list: Al Pacino.
“Pacino was always up there,” he said. “De Niro would have been fascinating. Robin Williams, if he were still with us, would’ve done something wild. But for this Al was perfect. He can greenlight this kind of project.”
Billy Knight follows Alex (Charlie Heaton) and a mysterious mentor figure played by Pacino. The film moves between the everyday and the ethereal.
“I wanted to make something very personal,” Roth said. “Imagination and magic, but still real. It’s where I am in my life, that combination of a magical sensibility and a grounded reality.”
He cites Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino and his 2013 film “The Great Beauty” as a key inspiration.
Older movies weren’t afraid to leave you with questions,” Roth said. “If you tighten everything up with a bow, you might lose what lingers on the drive home.”
Everyone in the dream
Roth insists that his voice is present in every character. He points out a brief vignette delivered by Alleah Rogers, who plays Billy’s assistant.
“She talks about feeling the pressure to ‘figure it out’ but at a certain age,” Roth said. “That’s me talking through her. It’s personal, even in the smallest moments.”
The same goes for the romance between Heaton’s character and Diana Silvers.
“Being in love with someone who’s distant, off in their own world, I’ve felt that,” Roth added.
Pacino, up close
Working with an icon came naturally after months of conversation.
“Al and I talked for six or seven months before shooting,” Roth said. “At a certain point, he isn’t Al Pacino, he’s your collaborator, your friend. That comfort shows up in the work.”
Pacino’s limited hours forced efficiency. “He could start at 10 a.m. and wrap around 8 p.m., so we had to be precise,” Roth added. “Those days are some of the film’s best work.”
The contrast between the Pacino sequences and the indie ensembles remains striking.
“The Pacino material is on a different level,” Roth said. “Performance, experience, everything. Without him, it’s an indie debut, with all its charms and flaws. With him, the ceiling lifts.”
From UM to the wider map
Roth studied U.S history and communications at Miami, double minoring in film and political science.
“History made me a better filmmaker,” Roth said. “It teaches you how people think, how they move through time. I wish I’d taken business earlier; it’s its own language in this industry.”
He credits UM’s community for shaping his worldview. “You could go to a frat, a football game and a film screening in the same week,” Roth added. “That mix of culture and collaborations sticks with you.”
Now, Roth’s production company, Firebrand Media Group, has completed three films, including a docuseries on Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward.
“It’s surreal,” he said. “If you’d told me ten years ago I’d be interviewing Coach Cristobal, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
The distribution experiment
Roth and his partners, Josh Clayton and Kirk Martin are experimenting with distribution instead of relying on studios. “We may never get an offer that makes sense,” Roth said. “So, we’re booking theaters ourselves while still talking to distributors. We want control.”
They’re using geofencing to reach audiences by location.
“If you were in Miami last week, you might’ve seen “Billy Knight” pop up on your phone,” Roth said. “We literally targeted this area.”
Their philosophy? A million small voices are louder than one big one. “Give 1,500 people five assets and a reason to post,” Roth said. “That grassroots feeling, ‘I’m part of this’ is powerful.”
On nepo baby labels and persistence
Roth doesn’t shy away from discussing his lineage. His father is a celebrated screenwriter, but he’s clear eyed about the double edge.
“It can open a door, sure, but you start a step behind. People assume things,” Roth said.
He recalls sending scripts and emails that went unanswered, or worse, mocked.
“One exec accidentally sent me an email calling me ‘so [expletive] annoying,” Roth said. “You can fold or fuel yourself with that. I chose to fuel it.”
Roth keeps a Bill Hader quote in mind when he edits: “If people agree something isn’t working, they’re probably right. When they tell you how to fix it, they’re probably wrong.”
“The movie has to be yours,” Roth said. “Process feedback, but solve it your way.”
What changed his cinematic brain
When asked what film transformed his view on cinema, Roth rattled off a list: “Amadeus,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and more.
“Scope and soul,” Roth said. “Movies that dare to be big and intimate at the same time.”
Ultimately, Roth hopes “Billy Knight” restores a sense of mystery in the audience long after the curtains close.
“I want you to think on the drive home,” he said. “Not because I was lazy, but because not everything in life ties up with a bow.”