- WIFSFBA Presents -
Filmmakers Panel: How to Slay in Indie Horror Filmmaking
When: October 21, 2025
Time: 6:00 - 7:30pm PT / 9:00 10:30pm ET
Where: Zoom
Tickets: $10 Members / $15 Non-members / $5 Students
Wanna make something really scary? Learn how to get started and build a career in the thrilling world of independent horror from three filmmakers who have done just that:
They’ll share personal stories, hard-won insights and practical advice — from how to get started and what pitfalls to avoid when putting your own scary project together, to understanding the worlds of genre festivals, markets, sales agents and distributors.
Our Panel:
JENN WEXLER (Moderator)
Jenn is a writer and director whose directorial debut, THE RANGER, world premiered at the SXSW Film Festival, screened at the Museum of Modern Art, and was released by AMC’s Shudder. Her latest feature, THE SACRIFICE GAME, starring Mena Massoud (ALADDIN) and Olivia Scott Welch (the FEAR STREET franchise), world premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival, had its International Premiere at FrightFest UK (Closing Night Film), its U.S. Premiere at Fantastic Fest, and is now on Shudder and AMC+. In television, she’s directed for The CW’s PANDORA and TruTV’s LATE NIGHT SNACK. Wexler has also produced acclaimed and award-winning genre films including DEPRAVED, DARLING, LIKE ME, and MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND, which was nominated for the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award and won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at SXSW.
Website: jennwexler.com
Director’s Reel: https://vimeo.com/1040073176
EMILY BENNET
Emily is an Academy recognized screenwriter, FANGORIA Chainsaw Award winning filmmaker and a rising force in genre cinema. Her films have screened at festivals such as Sundance, Sitges, Fantastic Fest, BIFAN and Fantasia Film Festival. Her debut feature film Alone With You was produced by actor Theo James and producer Andrew Corkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene). Her second feature film Blood Shine is an erotically charged horror film that has played such festivals as FrightFest and Sitges so far in 2025. As an actress, Bennett appears in the upcoming wide-release NEON horror film Shelby Oaks (produced by Mike Flanagan and directed by Chris Stuckmann) and the new film adaptation of The Mortuary Assistant (directed by Jeremiah Kipp). Bennett trained as an actress at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She is represented by DDO (acting) and SpectreVision (writing/directing).
Website: https://www.emilyreneebennett.com/directing
Directing reel: https://vimeo.com/996672241/5407f06d23?fl=pl&fe=vl
ASHLEIGH SNEAD
Ashleigh is an Independent Spirit Award nominated producer. Her films include NEONS’s 2025 wide theatrical release SHELBY OAKS (Executive Produced by Mike Flanagan), AI sci-fi THE ARTIFICE GIRL (SXSW ‘23), Shudder's punk rock horror THE RANGER (SXSW ‘18), and Netflix Original THE BLOCK ISLAND SOUND. Films currently on the festival circuit include Emily Bennett & Justin Brooks' horror BLOOD SHINE (Sitges '25) and WHERE DARKNESS DWELLS starring Katie Parker. Upcoming films currently in post production include the latest romantic drama from Director Joe Swanberg starring Dakota Fanning and Jake Johnson, a new nightmare from Director Adam Egypt Mortimer, and Steven DeGennaro's REMOTE starring Adrianne Palicki. She holds a MBA in film producing & entrepreneurship from NYU and is a member of the DGA. Recently she co-launched the Alaska Filming Initiative to work with legislators in re-introducing a film incentive to the state, which she accidentally moved to from NYC.
Link: Shelby Oaks TRAILER
