Women in Horror Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Aleah Anseth

As you may know, February is “Women in Horror” month. To celebrate, PromoteHorror.com asked women from different professions if they would like to answer some questions about being a “Woman in Horror.” One of the women, who was kind enough to answer our questions, was writer/director/producer Aleah Anseth. Lets see what she said about being a “Woman in Horror”…

-PH: When did you first become a horror fan?

-Aleah: I became a fan around age 12. I was really into the supernatural horrors, because who doesn’t love a good ghost story? The Ring absolutely scared the crap out of me and that was my first horror film experience.

-PH: Was there a specific moment when you realized that you wanted to go from being a fan of horror to a woman who contributes to the genre, or did it just kind of happen naturally?

-Aleah: It honestly just happened naturally. I love scary movies and I love to be scared but I originally thought I was going to make more comedic films. When I moved to Vancouver I just clicked with more professionals in the horror crowd, and soon those are the projects I was working on.

-PH: What does having a “Women in Horror” month mean to you?

-Aleah: Women in Horror Month is like Christmas to me. I love seeing all these women get the recognition they deserve and to see their stories, to discover new filmmakers, and to be inspired to follow in their footsteps.

-PH: Is there a woman in horror who you consider a role model?

-Aleah: Jen and Sylvia Soska are the ones who first brought me on set, and who really helped me when I moved to Vancouver. They continue to believe in me and I’m just really grateful for all the opportunities they’ve given me. Plus they’re a couple of badasses, so what’s not to be inspired by?

-PH: How do you think the role of women in horror has changed over the years?

-Aleah: I don’t think the role of women has changed. I think women have always been behind the scenes, and creating, but it’s always been overshadowed and under appreciated. That’s the beauty behind Women in Horror Month, it allows those faces to come to the service and to show other horror fans that these bad ass ideas and creations are from women.

-PH: What do you think the future holds for women in horror?

-Aleah: I think Women in Horror is growing every year. I would love to see mentoring opportunities from more established women in Horror to take the new baby birds under their wings, and to give them the confidence to go out and create.