Jennifer Trudrung – Screenwriter / Actor / Producer

How have you fared during the pandemic?

Welp, lots of anxiety induced nightmares that have spawned at least two screenplay ideas. So, there’s that. And lots of family time. Lots.

What’s been keeping you busy?

I have been managing to write quite a bit this past year and I’ve been trying to watch a lot of horror movies and read lots of horror books for research and entertainment. And I’m on Twitter and Instagram way too much.

What was your favorite piece of new horror media from the last year?

The movies Spontaneous, Anything for Jackson, 1br, The Host, and Freaky were all just absolutely wonderful. And the books Mexican Gothic, The Occultists, Survivor Song, The Southern Book’s Club Guide to Slaying Vampires, Things We Lost in the Fire, Malorie, The Only Good Indians, If it Bleeds, Crossroads, Baby Teeth, and re-reading Wounds completely saved my sanity this past year. The podcasts, The Evolution of Horror, Gaylords of Darkness, My Favorite Murder, Lore, and I Saw What You Did kept me exercising and breathing fresh air and avoiding talking to others on walks.

What are you looking forward to most in the horror community for 2021?

There are some great movies coming out this year that I’m looking forward too and I’m always super excited about reading new horror books. Plus, it’s going to be very interesting to see where we are at in terms of whether in person horror film festivals will be happening this Fall. If they are then I’ll be stoked about hopefully attending a few.

What keeps from throwing in the towel when things get tough?

Aging and pure stubbornness. In all seriousness, I have so much great support from my family, community, and network. That helps me to keep digging in and trying.

What projects do you have coming up?

THERE’S A MOVIE based on my screenplay coming OUT THIS YEAR!! It’s called THE NEST. This is extremely exciting and I was indeed screaming at everyone about it. It’s being released July 6th, 2021! And I’m working with two incredible graphic/digital artists, Derek Stewart and Ason Intrigue, and they are creating an animated short horror film based on my screenplay “Posture” that should be hitting the film festival circuit this year. Plus, I’m going to continue to write feature horror/thriller screenplays.