Director Sydne Horton [Women in Horror Month 2025]

Hi! My name is Sydne Horton and I’m primarily a writer/director originally from the Midwest, but these days I’m LA/NY based. I’m an emerging queer filmmaker with a love for blending horror, drama, and comedy in the coming-of-age space. Raised as an adopted child, the exploration of identity, belonging, and self discovery is often central to my work.

My latest short film Saturday Ritual, has found success with a World Premiere at Palm Springs ShortFest where it was in competition for the Best LGBTQ+ Jury Award. More recently, it won the Best Teen Film at NewFest and it continues to make its way through the festival circuit. Prior to this, I directed the short META which shared a 3-month exhibit at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture, and it was referenced in Heidi Honeycutt’s book  I Spit on your Celluloid: The History of Women Directing Horror. In addition, this film screened with notable horror fests such as Final Girls Berlin, Salem Horror, Another Hole in the Head, and more after debuting with Outfest LA.

Additionally, I am an alum of the Women in Film Directing Mentorship Program, and the Emmy’s Television Academy Foundation Internship.

Horror to me is political, thought-provoking, educational, risk-taking, and boundary pushing. It’s a genre that bravely and fearlessly sends a message, and in return, often is repaid with a visceral response/reaction. Whether your reaction is thrilling, fearful, an escape, or a feeling of comfort, this genre pulls real and raw reactions from its viewers. Reactions that stick. The horror genre is necessary, and a vital genre for making change. Bodies of Horror are often reflections of their time politically, and socially, and with that, they’re sending a message. If your work falls under these characteristics, to me it’s a work of art in the horror genre.

Early on, I found a pretty instant connection to the horror genre. I was a rather shy kid growing up, and I often felt like an outsider and othered due to my open adoption, and likely my queerness before I even realized this part of myself. With horror, I was invited into this world of cinema that provides many stories for “monstrous” and “othered” characters. In a weird way, I think I felt more seen and understood in this genre. I also admire that horror doesn’t have to have specific rules – it can really be a playground for experimentation and risk taking.

From middle school through university, I often found myself hosting horror movie marathons at my parents house. I liked that this genre could really draw my friends in and provide such collective visceral reactions. I have so many fond memories of watching films like Chucky, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Descent, The Roommate, and more during these movie marathons. To this day, many of those friends still message me not just about their memories of those sleepovers, but how cool it is to see that those days were essentially movie research now that I direct horror films of my own. Once I started realizing my purpose is to be a filmmaker, there was no question for me that I had to play in the horror space.

This is such a classic response, but I really am so inspired by many creatives in the horror genre, especially the women and gays and theys. These creatives are out there persevering when so much is often pinned against them, they’re pushing boundaries, and they’re making thought-provoking bodies of art. I’m also further inspired by the feelings/emotions in the world, my own personal experiences, and the fears I have. The best stories really do come from observations, authenticity, and impactful imaginings fueled by raw emotions.

I’d like to be known for highlighting female and LGBTQ+ led stories. More specifically stories that affirm these groups, expand their stereotypical narratives, and provide various forms of education. I’d also like to be known for having ridiculously fun, collaborative, and safe film sets.

Women in Horror Month is a dedication to amplifying women within all sub-genres of horror. It’s a month that reminds us that women are often overshadowed in the genre, but we’re here, we exist, and we’re making films. It’s also a month that highlights these creatives lifting each other up, and it’s a message that we still have a long way to go before we have equal representation. Ultimately to me, it’s a reminder to be louder and continue to demand a presence in the horror space.

There are so many women in horror that I’d love to shout out, but for the sake of this interview I’ll keep it to a handful of creatives. Heidi Honeycutt is someone I think all lovers of horror should have on their radar, if they don’t already. Heidi runs Etheria Film Festival, and for many years she’s been studying the works of women made horror films spanning all the way back to silent films. More recently, she published her book I Spit on Your Celluloid: The History of Women Directing Horror Films which explores all forms of horror created by women with conducted interviews. She really hits home that women have always been part of the horror genre, and they always will. I’d also like to shout out Kay Lynch, the founder of Salem Horror Fest. She’s one of the biggest advocates for horror, especially queer horror. Kay’s drive and passion for the genre inspires me every day, and I owe her a huge appreciation post for connecting me with many of the queer filmmaker friends I now have. Vanessa Wright is also a horror creative I deeply admire. Vanessa is really a jack of all trades, she’s a writer/director, and she runs Renegade Film Festival — a festival that amplifies underrepresented and minority voices in the horror space. If you’re new to horror, or you’re searching for your horror community, run, don’t walk to the Renegade Film Festival.

Currently I’m in pre-production for my most ambitious short yet. It’s a 20ish minute family horror inspired by an imagining of my own family’s yearly tradition if it were to go wrong. It’s set in the 90’s, it’s a little queer, and it’s a story I’ve never seen before. I have a shooting draft ready and now I’m working on securing financiers and production funds – reach out if you’re interested in hearing more, I can share the script and pitch deck! I’d also love to shoot this one in the Midwest.

Aside from this short, I am working on finalizing my feature script of Saturday Ritual as the short continues to make its way through the festival circuit. It’s been such a surreal experience seeing how deeply this one has resonated with people around the world. With this, I’m actively working to share an expanded version of the short with these audiences and more. Furthermore, I’m presently looking for production companies, financiers, partnerships, etc to help bring this feature dream to life. It’s a film I really could have used during my search for identity, and it’s one I’m confident holds universal themes and tones.