Robert Tinnell

Directing

Robert Tinnell

Born 1961-04-27 · Fairmont, West Virginia, USA

Robert Tinnell is an American filmmaker, writer, producer, and graphic novelist from Fairmont, West Virginia. Growing up in north-central West Virginia, Tinnell developed a passion for storytelling and classic genre films, particularly horror, which would strongly influence the direction of his career. His early interest in cinema led him to work across multiple facets of the industry, from producing music videos to directing feature films and later branching into the world of comics and graphic novels. Over time, he has become known as a versatile storyteller whose work bridges film, literature, and visual art. As a filmmaker, Tinnell is best recognized for directing projects that blend fantasy, horror, and heartfelt character drama. His feature Kids of the Round Table (1995) reimagined Arthurian legend through the eyes of children, while Frankenstein and Me (1996) paid direct homage to classic horror cinema. In Frankenstein and Me, he recreated iconic sets and sequences inspired by films such as Brides of Dracula and Night of the Living Dead, showcasing his deep reverence for horror history. The film went on to earn him the Best Director award at Fantasporto and remains a fan favorite, in part because it marked one of Ryan Gosling’s earliest feature film appearances. Tinnell later directed films such as Believe (2000) and produced music videos, including Paula Abdul’s MTV award-winning hit “Straight Up,” further establishing his reputation as a creative with a wide skill set. In addition to film, Tinnell has built a strong reputation in the world of comics and graphic novels. He co-created The Black Forest with Todd Livingston and Neil Vokes, a work that blended horror and World War I adventure, and went on to author acclaimed titles such as The Wicked West, The Living and the Dead, and Sight Unseen. His graphic novel Feast of the Seven Fishes—inspired by his Italian American heritage and family traditions—was nominated for an Eisner Award and brought his personal storytelling style to a wide audience. The work later served as the basis for a feature film adaptation, further connecting his careers in film and graphic literature. Tinnell’s style is marked by a consistent blending of genres and influences. He often uses pastiche and homage to honor the filmmakers and traditions that inspired him, while also weaving in personal elements from his own upbringing and cultural background. His works move fluidly between horror, fantasy, folklore, and family drama, making them distinctive within both the independent film and comics landscapes. He has earned recognition not only through award nominations, such as the Eisners and Harvey Awards, but also through his growing reputation within horror and graphic novel communities, where his stories continue to resonate. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Robert Tinnell remains closely connected to his roots and family. He is married to Shannon, and together they have two children, Isabella and Jack. His Italian heritage, particularly the traditions passed down through his mother’s side of the family, plays a meaningful role in his storytelling and personal life. Today, Tinnell continues to live and work in West Virginia, maintaining his dual focus on filmmaking and writing while inspiring new generations of creators with his cross-disciplinary body of work.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Airspeed poster
4.3

When wealthy executive Raymond Stone sends out his private plane to pick up his spoiled teenage daughter, Nicole, and a pair of his top-ranking employees, disaster strikes. While the jet flies through an electrical storm, the pilot and other passengers are incapacitated, and Nicole is left on her own to keep the plane in the air, guided by an air traffic controller. Can the irresponsible and panic-stricken teen find a way to land the jet?

Airspeed

1998

Surf Nazis Must Die poster
3.9

When a Black oil well worker is killed by a band of California neo-Nazis, his gun-wielding grandmother busts out of her retirement home to avenge him.

Surf Nazis Must Die

1987

Feast of the Seven Fishes poster
6.6

A slice of life story that follows a large Italian family on Christmas Eve as they prepare for the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes, reminisce about the past and seek love in the future.

Feast of the Seven Fishes

2019

Feast of the Seven Fishes poster
6.6

A slice of life story that follows a large Italian family on Christmas Eve as they prepare for the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes, reminisce about the past and seek love in the future.

Feast of the Seven Fishes

2019

Frankenstein and Me poster
5.4

Earl Williams is a dreamer teenager obsessed with monsters, who fantasizes his life as if he were living in the world of the monsters of Universal Studios. Although being an excellent student, his intolerant and nasty school teacher Mrs. Perdue does not like him and punishes him for any minor fault. His supportive father Les Williams is also a dreamer, who has never been successful in life. When his father dies, his mother becomes lost with two boys, and tries to change the behavior of Earl. One day, the boy finds the "true Frankenstein" lost by a Carnival, and decides to bring the monster back to life.

Frankenstein and Me

1996

Frankenstein and Me poster
5.4

Earl Williams is a dreamer teenager obsessed with monsters, who fantasizes his life as if he were living in the world of the monsters of Universal Studios. Although being an excellent student, his intolerant and nasty school teacher Mrs. Perdue does not like him and punishes him for any minor fault. His supportive father Les Williams is also a dreamer, who has never been successful in life. When his father dies, his mother becomes lost with two boys, and tries to change the behavior of Earl. One day, the boy finds the "true Frankenstein" lost by a Carnival, and decides to bring the monster back to life.

Frankenstein and Me

1996

12 Desperate Hours poster
6.5

It centers on Val who finds herself and her young children held hostage by Denny when he forces his way into her house after committing murder that day.

12 Desperate Hours

2023

Kids of the Round Table poster
4.8

Set in modern times, Alex finds King Arthur's sword Excalibur and must prove himself worthy of it.

Kids of the Round Table

1995

Back Fork poster
5.5

When the strain of tragedy was too much for a young couple in Appalachia, prescription pills became the medicine to ease the pain.

Back Fork

2019

The Bad Guardian poster
7.1

A woman tries to save her father from a corrupt and greedy court-appointed guardian.

The Bad Guardian

2024

Believe poster
5.5

After being continually kicked out of boarding schools, Ben is sent to live with his stern Grandfather in a small town. Almost as soon as he arrives he begins to see the ghost of a woman around his grandfather's house. He also gets to know a girl named Kathrine and the two fast become friends. They both want to help the ghost who holds a connection to both of their families. As they research the past, Ben and Katherine find out that sometimes all you need to do to help someone is to believe.

Believe

2000

South of Reno poster
4.9

In a drab desert town, some 200 miles south of Reno, an indecisive man with an unfaithful wife dreams of someday, someday, taking charge of his drifting life.

South of Reno

1988

Young Goodman Brown poster
6.7

Based of Nathaniel Hawthorn's short story of the same name. Newly married husband leaves for the night only to discover his wife maybe a witch.

Young Goodman Brown

1993

A Rose for Her Grave: The Randy Roth Story poster
6.7

Lori becomes distraught when her best friend, Cindy Roth, drowns under mysterious circumstances while on a trip with her husband, Randy. Determined to honor Cindy and learn the truth, she starts to uncover disturbing evidence from Randy's past.

A Rose for Her Grave: The Randy Roth Story

2023

No artwork available
10.0

Charles Wesley Godwin & The Allegheny High play live at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA. Intercut with Charles musing on inspirations for his music as he drives through West Virginia.

Charles Wesley Godwin - Stage AE Documentary

2023

Killing the Competition poster
7.1

A loving mother becomes enraged after her daughter is cut from her alma mater's dance team.

Killing the Competition

2025

Requiem for the Damned poster
4.5

Edgar Allan Poe. For nearly two hundred years his stories of the macabre have shocked and terrified audiences. And now, inspired by five of Poe's most terrifying tales, five filmmakers have banded together to create the ultimate tribute to the master: Edgar Allan Poe's Requiem For The Damned - featuring adaptations of : The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Murders in the Rue Morgue.

Requiem for the Damned

2012

Grindsploitation poster
5.1

Exploitation anthology from the twisted minds of established and up and coming directors from across the globe.

Grindsploitation

2016