Our Conversation with Vanessa Wright
Vanessa is a Film Director, Screenwriter, and Festival Director, and is a Gallery Women in Horror Month veteran this year!
WHich of your achievements to date are you most proud of?
Co-founding and directing the Women in Horror Film Festival as well as marking my directorial debut with a Stephen King adaptation.
What’s your favorite horror film and why?
Just one!? John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) for its simplicity and brilliant execution. Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist for destroying clowns for me. William Friedkin’s The Exorcist for making me question the existence of the Devil. I should just create a spreadsheet and send it to you 😉
Who is your hero in the horror world and why?
Every single filmmaker that is fighting through challenges and adversity to create their art.
Share a practical tip for a woman who wants to do what you do.
Surround yourself with people just as passionate about the process as you are. That type of energy creates amazing things.
Inspire someone who is not where they want to be in the industry yet.
Don’t ever let anyone else make you believe you can’t do something. They will tell you this because they know that you can, and that scares the crap out of them.
Scare the crap out of us with something you have done or plan on doing!
I begin tucking him into bed and he tells me, “Daddy check for monsters under my bed.” I look underneath for his amusement and see him, another him, under the bed, staring back at me quivering and whispering, “Daddy there’s somebody on my bed.”
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What projects do you have coming up?
I just received my first contract to write a screenplay for a feature, and I am gearing up for WIHFF year 3.
