Gabrielle Faust on Popcorn Horror

For this week's #TBT Throwback Thursday here is a quick interview I did for the Scotland-based horror film app Popcorn Horror for the 2013 Women in Horror month. Enjoy!

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**Photo by D6PIX**

Why do you think Women in Horror Month is important?

Women are making tremendous strides in the horror community today but the horror genre is still a largely male-dominated world. The strong female artistic talents bringing a fresh new perspective to horror and its respective sub-genres deserve recognition and promotion of their achievements. It also serves to inspire future generations of women to chase their dreams if they are to be part of the horror world. As a woman in the horror industry, do you ever face discrimination?

I wouldn’t necessarily say I’ve ever experienced outright discrimination, but I have at times encountered the “boys club” mentality and perception that it’s harder for me to write true horror than my male counterparts. Do you think women have a big enough role in the horror industry?

That’s hard to say. “Big enough role” sounds like it is something that is given to us instead of created by us. If women continue to create and produce though-provoking, innovative work our presence will strengthen, both in numbers and weight. We have to demand the roles; they won’t simply be given to us and we wouldn’t want them to be, either. Who are some of your favorite female horror characters and why?

Riply from “Aliens”, Buffy from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, Selene from “Underworld”, Diane Freeling from “Poltergeist”, Lilly from “Perfect Creature”, Private Vasquez from “Aliens”, Gabrielle and Maharet from “The Vampire Chronicles”, Pam from “True Blood”… All of these characters are strong and resilient, carving their own destinies while fighting for their lives. Who are your favorite female writers/directors?

Writers — Poppy Z. Brite, Anne Rice, Barbara Hambly, Mary Sangiovanni, Lisa Mannetti, Linda Addison, Roh Morgon, Vanessa Fewings, Rhodi Hawk… Directors —Marry Harron (American Psycho), Mary Lambert (Pet Cemetary), Rachel Talalay, Karen Lam, Jen and Sylvia Soska (“Ax Wound”, Dead Hooker in a Trunk)… What do these women have in common?

They take risks and write/direct the stories they want their audiences to experience instead of writing to a quota. I respect that deeply. What would you say to women trying to get more involved in horror?

Develop a thick skin and stick with it. If you are committed to your passion, your vision, then fight for it. No one else is going to do it for you. Don’t make excuses. Don’t play to stereotypes. Be yourself. Be strong. And, above all else, don’t take “no” for an answer.