First of all, please introduce yourself.
I’m Lou Simón. I’m a writer, director, and producer with five feature films under my belt.
What is it that attracts you the horror genre for your chosen field of creative work?
I’ve been a huge fan of the genre since I was a kid. To this day, I watch horror films for breakfast sometimes. I just love it, and it’s hard to say why. I guess it’s that feeling of suspense and anticipation that is such a rush.
Please introduce yourself.
Hi! I’m Clarissa Jacobson and I’m screenwriter, filmmaker, and published author. The things I am most proud of are my short comedy/horror film – Lunch Ladies the follow up – A Very Important Film, my book – I Made A Short Film WTF Do I DO With It (a guide to film fests, promotion, and surviving the ride) and several optioned scripts that I hope will be filming soon! I am the other half of Rebel Minx a writing shingle that I have with my fantastic creative partner, Shayna Weber, and I am always learning about the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking – I’m very passionate about it and love it!
Please introduce yourself.
Hi, thanks for including me in this year’s festivities!
My name’s Christina Raia. I’m a writer and director from Queens, NY. I focus on character-driven and socially conscious horror and comedy, using genre as a lens to represent, discuss and dissect social issues, otherness and real world anxieties. In my work, I tend to subvert expectations, play with genre tropes, and blend seemingly opposing tones.
Andrea Subissati is one of the premiere women championing all that is horror, horror journalism and amplifying the voices for women in horror at the iconic Rue Morgue Magazine and The Faculty of Horror.
What is it that attracts you the horror genre for your chosen field of creative work?
I don’t consider myself a film critic – my interest is in culture and how entertainment (specifically cinema) interacts with the way we live in the world. I believe horror to be the most interesting and constructive genre for that sort of inquiry because it tackles subject matter that most of pop culture isn’t willing to look at.
Please introduce yourself.
Hello. My name is Janine Pipe and I am a British horror writer. I have several short stories that have been published in many different anthologies. I am also a reviewer for Scream Magazine, Horror DNA and Night Worms. I have a podcast (Cryptids, Crypts and Coffee) that I host with my buddy Lou Yardley and a Booktube channel. I am also the press officer/publicist for Kandisha Press, an all woman indie publishing house.
Please introduce yourself.
Thank you so much for including me! I’m Denise Gossett, Actress and Festival Founder/Director of Shriekfest Film Festival! We are currently in our 21st year!
What is it that attracts you the horror genre for your chosen field of creative work?
I love horror films! I love creatures, I love to be scared, although it’s really hard to scare me now after 21 years of watching films.
Please introduce yourself a little:
Hi, I’m Hailey Piper, and thanks for having me! I write horror, with a few novellas out such as The Worm and His Kings from Off Limits Press and Benny Rose, the Cannibal King from Unnerving. I’ve had 50+ short stories published in various places such as Year’s Best Hardcore Horror, The Arcanist, Flash Fiction Online, Tales to Terrify, and elsewhere. I live with my wife in Maryland, and I’m trying not to upend reality too much.