These horror-fying women are tired of waiting!
According to the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, women take up only 17% of parts in film and television- including crowd scenes - and are just as sexualized in family films as they are in films for adults. The American Civil Liberties Union has called for a state and federal investigation into discriminatory hiring practices in Hollywood. "The statistics don't lie. Women represent only seven percent of directors, 11 percent of writers, and 18 percent of editors on the most successful films over the past 17 years." - NY Times
Film maker Simone Kisiel and writer Alexandra Grunberg are sick of waiting for horror that doesn't rely on gratuitous violence and explicit sexuality which is why they have created a new horror film called 'BUGS: A Trilogy.' The film is a psychological horror trilogy in the style of the 1975 horror film, 'Trilogy of Terror,' starring Karen Black. Incredibly, after only two days, the film has raised more than 30% of it's funding goal on Indiegogo. "This is testament to the fact that women want to see change" says Kisiel. "Many of our supporters don't even like horror - they just want to see women succeed".
A babysitter with a clever and violent ward. A patient who mistrusts the doctor's orders. A young woman haunted by a malevolent presence. And the terror that ties them all together: BUGS. On their own, spiders, parasites, and bedbugs hold their own private horror for those who are beset by the quiet scuttles and slurps of inhuman creatures. But for Diane, Hannah, and Elena, three varied yet eerily similar women, these bugs represent the larger horrors of paranoia, helplessness, and abandonment.
"People often ask me what I do and when I tell them that I make horror films they laugh at me, in my face. It's really upsetting. In this day and age you would think a young woman could pursue whatever career she wants. Statistics show that 90 percent of directors in Hollywood are male. I've launched a crowd funding campaign because the likelihood of being hired as a female director in Hollywood are literally 10%," said Kisiel.
Magic Dog Productions is dedicated to employing and empowering women in the film and entertainment industry in roles where they have been traditionally marginalized, such as writer and boom operator. They believe it doesn't require maleness to be scary and aim to prove it.
"As an young actress, I find that my opinions and intelligence are often dismissed in classroom, theatrical, and film environments. It seems that I am expected to do and not think, that as a young lady I should be submissive and show respect that may not have been earned. I am tired of being dissuaded from critical thought, and firmly believe that age and gender are not deciding factors in one's ability to create important work," Grunberg said.
Director Simone Kisiel and Writer/Star Alexandra Grunberg have been a filmmaking duo for over a year and have had success both individually and as a team. Simone's film 'Quietus' recently screened at the Manhattan Film Fest and won 'Best Short Film'. Alexandra Grunberg's short stories have been published in professional magazines recognized by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Their web series 'HOUSED,' directed by Simone and co-created by Alexandra, was an official selection of the Miami Web Fest, a nominee for Best Mockumentary, and was selected as Best Sit-Com out of a slate of 9 Nominees in the category and 200 Official Selections at the festival.
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