With her upcoming fourth short film as a fimmaker coming up, Lindsay Bennett-Thompson is making her mark on the industry as a filmmaker following an established acting career.
Please introduce yourself:
Hello, I’m Lindsay Bennett-Thompson. Actor, Writer, Filmmaker and True crime enthusiast. I swear enough to embarrass my mother and I make stuff.
What is it that attracts you the horror genre for your chosen field of creative work?
My earliest memory of going to the video store I would beg my step brother to rent out the films with the scariest titles or images, we would watch them in the dark and he would have to turn every light on before I went to bed but I would always go back for more. So, for me horror was always the place I could go where I knew I was going to really experience “something”
Who inspires you in your work and in life?
Oh goodness, FAR too many people to mention. There have been incredible directors and creatives I have worked with that have most definitely molded how I approach my craft. Oliver Park (DIR.) and Coz Greenop (DIR.) being two people who immediately come to mind. I am also a big art lover and find so much inspiration in Art galleries.
What are your passions, cinematic or otherwise?
Cinematically I do love to take risks, BE BOLD! Vanilla is okay but sometimes you want a little Raspberry Ripple. I have a deep passion for True Crime which although not necessarily obvious in my work I feel it informs the stories I like to tell. There’s nothing more interesting to me than human beings, we’re utterly bonkers.
Considering this is 2022, why do you think we still need a movement like Women in Horror Month?
We have to be champions of our own work and others. Shout the loudest, stick those heels through that wedge in the door. In so many industries (creative or otherwise) there continues to be an imbalance, be it gender, race, sexuality and so having communities that lift each other must continue.
What would you tell an up-and-coming creative in the world of horror who sees that being a woman/identifying as a woman as something that makes it so much more difficult at times?
Certainly within Filmmaking it is still very much male dominated. My advice would be to understand this and absolutely be the best that YOU can be. Eventually people will take notice – let your work speak for yourself. Concentrate on building good long standing connections with people on a human level.
What are your favorite bits of helpful advice that you have received about your work or your field?
Keep your eye on your own hymn paper, don’t worry about the distractions. Get your head down and work and never be afraid to ask for help.
In honor of celebrating Women in Horror Month, who do you believe viewers should keep an eye on in terms of the creative ladies in horror?
Lucy Rose. I met her recently before she started shooting her recent project (TASTE) and her passion and focus is infectious. Definitely keep your eyes on her.
What do you have coming soon that you can talk to us about?
I have recently finished my latest sci-fi horror short File Not Found which is premiering at the London Independent Film Festival in April 2022. It is probably my most ambitious project that I wrote, directing and play a small role in and I am extremely excited for people to see it. Our small private screening to investors went really well and now can’t wait to see it on the big screen!
What do you hope to leave behind in your legacy as an artist?
I wish I could say something really profound and poetic here but instead I’ll go for vanity. I’d like people to think that no matter where you come from or what other people believe are your boundaries you can push through them. I’d like to think I surprised people’s expectations.
Pop them links to follow your work here:
www.lindsaybennett.net
Insta @filenotfoundfilm
Insta @enternirvana_film
Insta @lynsybennettthompson
File Not Found Trailer: FILE NOT FOUND TRAILER 2022 – (Sci-Fi / Horror – Short Film)
