Flint Filmmaker Christian Vanover Gets Candid About Fame, Fear, and Film

FLINT, Michigan — When filmmaker Christian Vanover talks about how he started, he makes it sound as though storytelling was in his DNA long before he understood its meaning. “Since I was born, really, I’ve always been writing and writing or seeing stories in my head,” he says, admitting it might “sound completely crazy,” but that it’s simply the truth. Growing up between Flint and Grand Blanc, he believed for years that he was destined to write books — until he realized the stories he imagined weren’t novels at all. They were scripts.

At seventeen, fueled by ambition and the dream of getting into film school in New York, Vanover made his first movie, Rigo, with help from friends who were “super helpful.” In hindsight, he laughs at its quality. “The movie absolutely sucked,” he says — yet it became a turning point. Not getting into film school mattered far less than discovering something fundamental: “It taught me that I could actually make a movie if I wanted to.”

From then on, the spark grew. His next film was noticeably better, and momentum followed. Festivals began to reach out to him, he won a few awards, and did his first news interviews. By the time he created his third film — “probably like one of the best movies I’ve ever made,” he says — he was premiering it at the US 23 Drive-In in Burton. The attention was both motivating and intimidating. Expectations rose, and he felt the pressure to make something people wouldn’t criticize or “hate.”

“Since I was born, really, I’ve always been writing and writing or seeing stories in my head.”

Everything shifted again once Vanover moved to Grand Valley State University. A tense experience with a roommate planted the seed for a story he would later return to. Frustrated, he told a friend, “A year from now, we’re gonna make a movie about this.” But after premiering his feature film Snap Out of It, Vanover felt the familiar tug toward a new project. “I know we just got done,” he told his best friend and filmmaking partner, “but I really need to write something else.”

That “something else” became RMH15, a film he wrote in a single week.

He already knew which actors could carry the emotional weight of the story. The cast trained, the script resonated, and filming happened fast. But nothing had prepared him for the emotional impact of watching his lived experience unfold before him. 

In the middle of shooting one particular scene, he broke down unexpectedly. “I just started bawling my eyes out. I had to cover up my mouth, and I just walked outside. It was a super powerful memory of mine,” he says. The vulnerability of that moment affirmed just how deeply the story was tied to his life.

“Writing the story as it applies to the queer community and being a gay man, it’s always gonna be scary.”

RMH15 was an honest, raw portrayal of queerness, heartbreak, and identity—and releasing it was terrifying. As a gay filmmaker working with actors and crew who weren’t all queer, he worried about how the world might receive it. But instead of judgment, he found support. “Writing the story as it applies to the queer community and being a gay man, it’s always gonna be scary. For them not to have a problem with doing the things that I do or things that I wanna do speaks [volumes] about who they are. I really appreciate [them] seeing a story for what it is.”

He uploaded the film quietly, without promotion. And then the views exploded.

What started with 1,000 views in two days quickly jumped to 10,000, then 50,000. Today, RMH15 sits above 200,000 views. Initially, the team wondered whether someone was buying views or manipulating the data. But then the comments began pouring in. 

“We started getting these amazing comments [about] how soulful this was, how they loved the writing, how this spoke to people,” Vanover says. People from across the country messaged him: “This was beautiful. It spoke to this part of myself I forgot.”

That response forced him to reconsider a rule he once took seriously: never make a sequel. “I will not ever make a sequel,” he used to say. But RMH15 didn’t feel complete. “That story wasn’t fully over,” he explains. So he asked his actors directly: if he were to write a sequel, would they want to return? They signed on instantly. 

The sequel—RMH15: Back to Me—is now officially in the works. This time, the story follows Felix as he returns to college, heartbreak still fresh, both characters pretending not to care until circumstances force a conversation neither can avoid.

As Vanover navigates what he calls the tension between visibility and vulnerability, he speaks openly about the fears that accompany being a queer filmmaker in this current era. Being outspoken is powerful, yes—but also frightening. “It’s scary. You never know how people perceive things,” he says. But he believes representation requires courage. “It’s important to take those risks. I feel like there needs to be voices like mine at all times.”

On campus, he’s known for his premieres and his growing reputation—an identity that often comes with mixed reactions. Some peers are eager to collaborate, while others respond with judgment or negativity. Back home, though, the reception is warm. He describes receiving daily comments and watching his mom get Facebook messages from people who loved RMH15. 

For him, the visibility means something larger than recognition. It’s about reaching the next generation of creatives from Flint and Grand Blanc, especially queer youth. “There are so many youth scared to do what they want. Our area feels like it’s gonna stifle your spark,” he says. His message to them is simple: “You can tell the story you want. You can be that filmmaker. It’s not unachievable.”

Graduation is on the horizon, and with it, a new chapter. Vanover has “big city dreams,” a desire to continue writing, directing, and building the future he imagines for himself. If studios won’t pick up his scripts, he plans to create his own pathway. 

“Make the damn movie. Do what you need to do. Stop being scared. No idea is too crazy. Nothing is unachievable.”

“I’m gonna make the company that picks up the scripts,” he says. He envisions himself “somewhere in an apartment, writing a script, or running a film company picking up other people’s scripts who don’t have the chance to do what I do.” No matter where he goes, the roots remain. “I’m always gonna be the kid from Grand Blanc and the kid from Flint. You’ll see it in my writing. You’ll see it in my filmmaking.”

When asked what he wishes emerging filmmakers knew, he doesn’t hesitate. “Make the damn movie,” he says. “Do what you need to do. Stop being scared. No idea is too crazy. Nothing is unachievable. People want to hear your natural, normal voice.”

And behind all of this—the ambition, the work, the growth—is a foundation that keeps him grounded: his family. “They have been my rock. They’re literally the sweetest family to go home to. They’re at every single premiere. I honestly probably would not have the career I have right now without them.”

You can follow Christian Vanover on Instagram. You can check out 1895Digital’s YouTube to watch their short and feature films.