Meet QueenWasp Production founder Mara Powell:
To start, please introduce yourself:
My name is Mara Powell, founder of QueenWasp Productions, and creator of Vampa’s Visions. I’ve been a filmmaker since 2017, when I got a few friends together in my backyard to shoot a silly little idea I had floating around in my head for over a decade. Knowing it would be a short, I created a horror-hostess character named Vampa Del’Ombra to introduce it, with plans on producing a few more in a similar fashion. Fast-forward to today, and there are currently 4 shorts in the Vampa’s Visions series.
What is horror to you, what makes a work of art one in the horror genre?
Now, in my opinion, what makes horror such a great genre is the fact that it can be so broad. Just think of all the subgenres out there! One fan goes in for explotation of deep-seated fears, while others shy away from that and prefer a gross-out gorefest, laced with comedy. All in all, I think that if the work deals with death, and/or the darker emotions and experiences we have as human beings, and does this in an unforgiving way, it’s horror.
What made you want to work in horror?
Not sure! It’s something I’ve always gravitated towards for as long as I can remember. I think it all started with my love of Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty as a kid.
Where do you get your inspiration?
From life, the people I meet, the experiences I have. The weird ideas I get listening to music, or at the gym, or in the shower, sitting at work, etc.
What would you like your legacy to be in the genre (or elsewhere)?
I want to be known as the filmmaker who when you see my movies, you walk out wondering how did you had so much fun engaging with such dark material. I not only want to dwell in the dark, but I want to delight in it, and I want my films to bring my audience there with me.
What is Women in Horror Month to you and why is it still important this many years later?
Women in Horror Month is a wonderful way to take some time out and honor and discover women in a historically male-dominated artform and especially genre. I still have trouble connecting with other women in horror, so having the month is super important. The more women on my set, the better.
Who are some of the Women in Horror who you look up to and who do you want to bring attention to in your field or others?
Though she’s not exacly in the genre of “horror”, I’ve always looked up to and took inspiration from experimental filmmaker, Maya Deren. In the more traditional sense of horror, I also look up to Debra Hill – a person often overlooked for her contributions, with much attention on her partner and film director, John Carpenter.
What are you currently working on that you can tell us about?
I am currently in the early stages of writing a new original screenplay that is, at this moment, untitled. This will be my take on the werewolf subgenre, so I’m hoping to be able to make this one my goriest film to date.
Where can readers keep up with you?
You can check QueenWasp Productions out
on Facebook: @QueenWasp Productions
on Instagram: @queenwasp_productions
on YouTube: @VampasVisions
on our website: https://vampasvisions.wixsite.com/mysite
