Women in Horror Recognition Month

If you are anything like me, every day is a celebration of women in horror. However, for the rest of the world, February is Women in Horror Recognition Month, where we raise a severed hand and a shattered glass to the fiendish and fabulous ladies of horror. In honour of this bloody good cause, I invite you to celebrate four amazing, Canadian women who are working hard each and every day to make the world a little spookier for all of us. So, without further ado, I introduce to you some of my favourite women in horror…

 

 

Jen and Sylvia Soska 

The Women: Jen and Sylvia Soska

The Horror: Twin film directors Jen and Sylvia Soska are the twisted minds behind Twisted Twins Productions. In 2009, the twins released Dead Hooker in a Trunk, a gore-filled, action-packed dark comedy romp about the horrors of finding a dead hooker in your trunk and the diabolical misadventures that follow. In 2012, the twins brought us their smash-hit American Mary. Starring the devastatingly beautiful Katharine Isabelle as Mary Mason, the film tells the story of a struggling med student and her descent into the dark world of cosmetic body modification and murder. American Mary won over critics and fans alike, recently picking up Best Screenplay from the Fright Meter Awards. The twins just finished production on See No Evil 2 which rips into theatres this October. The twins are also working on XX- the first-ever all female horror anthology slated for release later this year.

The Heart: Jen and Sylvia are an absolute delight. They are as dedicated to their craft as they are to their fans. For American Mary’s DVD release, the twins organized a “live watch party” where anyone could watch the DVD at home and participate in a live discussion via Twitter with the twins and other fans. Not only was American Mary trending on Twitter, Jen later took to her Facebook account to brag how proud she was that their fans “crashed Twitter”. Jen and Sylvia are regulars at fan conventions, not only to mingle with their fans and promote their work, but because they are genuinely fans of the genre themselves. They have publicly announced that they do not rely upon crowd-sourcing. Instead, their work is financed out of their own pockets. With their slew of recent successes, the twisted twins are going far and going strong! These two are fantastic spokeswomen for the industry.

Find out more:

Twisted Twin Productions Official Website:
http://www.twistedtwinsproductions.net/
American Mary on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Mary/313170038780240
Twisted Twins on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/tWIStED-tWINS-PRODUCtIONS/122032761355

 

Jovanka Vuckovic

The Woman: Jovanka Vuckovic

The Horror: Former editor-in-chief of Rue Morgue Magazine and author of Zombies! An Illustrated History of the Undead, Jovanka has recently turned her talents to film-making. Her short film The Captured Bird (2012) has earned a handful of awards and has cemented Jovanka as a filmmaker on the rise. Executively produced by Guillermo del Toro, The Captured Bird has been film festival favourite and it is currently a feature on Fearnet.com. Jovanka has also directed The Guest (2013) and she will be joining the Soska sisters in the all-female horror anthology release XX.

The Heart: Jovanka is herself a horror fan and she makes it well known! Covered in tattoos depicting horror icons and classic film imagery, Jovanka is also a special effects makeup artist, regular panelist at fan conventions, horror couture fashionista and, if all that wasn’t enough, a proud mother, too! She reaches out to her fans, always making time to answer questions and support her fellow industry professionals. She has publicly lamented the fact that “women in horror” is often merely interpreted as “scream queens” and rarely celebrates off-screen, behind-the-scenes women. She calls for the ladies of horror to stand up and stand proud! With leaders like Jovanka Vuckovic out there paving the way, we can all stand a little taller.

Find out more:
Jovanka on IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1281628/

Twitter: 

https://twitter.com/JovankaVuckovic

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/jovankavuckovic

 

Thea Munster

The Woman: Thea Munster

The Horror: Thea Munster has been dishing out the brains for the Toronto Zombie Walk since 2003. As organizer of this now HUGE event, Thea has seen it all- the good, the bad and the bloody. Every October, the streets of Toronto run red with the blood of thousands of deadlings flocking together to celebrate their zombie pride. In 2012, there were 10, 000 zombies in Toronto for TZW and we have Thea to thank for that! This year, a dark shadow descended over the TZW, though… Another event, a zombie run with an admission fee, was threatening to trample the after-life out of the TZW. However, Thea and the deadites stood strong and came out victorious, further proving that you can’t keep a good ghoul down!  

The Heart: Thea has been committed to this event from the start. She works her bones off with TZW promotion, fundraising events and fiendish fun for the deadlings of Toronto. She also makes a point of helping to promote other horror events and organizations in the city, as well as harbouring a soft spot for the animals. She regularly speaks out for animal rights and aids in finding fur-ever homes for rescue pets. You go, ghoul!!

Find out more: 
The Toronto Zombie Walk Official Website:

http://torontozombiewalk.ca/

Thea's Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/theamunster

Thanks for reading about these incredible ladies and I hope you are inspired to honour one (or more) of your favourite women in horror.

Happy Women in Horror Recognition Month!