After being involved in a previous Women in Horror Month special, I'm pleased to welcome back filmmaker Cindy Sanabria to discuss some of her recent projects including the documentaries "Horror Able" and "Horror Able Women" amongst her other projects.
Me: Hello, and thank you for coming back! Since last we spoke, one of the projects you’ve started was a documentary called “Horror Able,” what can you tell us about it?
Cindy Sanabria: Hola and thanks for having me back. HORROR ABLE is an experimental doc about horror creatives with disabilities in our industry. It’s meant to raise awareness, educate, and help stress the importance of inclusivity and accessibility. Due to the alarming attention it received with people wanting to share their experiences and stories, we had to extend it into a short as well. This short will be ready by the end of February and is titled “Horror Able Women” introducing a few of the participants in a separate film.
Me: How did the concept of the documentary come together? What were the early stages of its inception like?
CS: I wanted to do a project to inspire my sister who has a disability.
Originally, I was supposed to film each interview separately and then the pandemic/Quarantine hit, which made me think of a more non-conventional yet creative approach to getting those interviews.
Me: What was the selection process like for determining who would be selected and featured?
CS: You had to be a person with a disability that works in horror.
Me: Do you recall any odd or fascinating stories from the participants while gathering their stories?
CS: I wouldn’t say odd but I learned things I never knew or ever took into account such as rare conditions I’ve never heard of or knew about; or laws I never knew existed. Like I mentioned earlier, there is a definite educational component to HORROR ABLE. Anyone who watches it is guaranteed to learn or gain something new from it.
Me: Once everything was collected together, what was the post-production aspect like piecing the interviews together to share their stories and experiences?
CS: I’m not going to lie, It was crazy but thankfully, we are finally in the home stretch. It wasn’t easy because of the method used and the footage I was limited to. I interviewed roughly 22 people. We had to separate that into two films with two different editors. After a set had already bailed on me (Murphy’s law) because it was too big of a job for them.
Me: What updates, if any, can you provide about a release date for others to be able to see it?
CS: Horror Able Women should be ready to go within a week or so but I won’t be releasing it publicly until after it’s had its run at the film festival and competition route. I would say it will most likely be uploaded to Tubi sometime later this year or next. As for HORROR ABLE, our main goal is to try to have it released and we are in talks for possible distribution so it may end up on one of your local streaming networks (we pray). We just want as many people to watch it as possible as the message and cause is so important. We need change.
Me: As well, you’re also releasing a side-project to the documentary called “Horror Able Women,” how did that come about?
CS: Horror Able Women was a last-minute choice that came about for various reasons. I didn’t realize how many more women than men I had interviewed in total, and some weren’t as good video quality as others. I didn’t want to discard any interviews because I felt each story was special and unique in its own way. Also, as I mentioned briefly earlier, the project was too much to put on just one editor so we decided to feature a few of those horror ladies in their own short and separate Horror Able into two parts. I have seen the work that has been done so far and I am pleased we made this decision.
Me: What do you hope to achieve by releasing this addition to the main documentary?
CS: For one, we can start getting the word out on this cause sooner. The main goal is to spread these stories. With 2 films out there, there is a greater chance for people to see at least one of them. We basically doubled our chances of a greater audience by doing so. Although they are different projects that are designed differently, they still deal with people with disabilities in our industry.
They are both very different in direction and approach so I would recommend to anyone to watch them both. Horror Able Women introduces a few horror indie women in our community where HORROR ABLE tackles various aspects, perspectives, and disabilities in the industry, not just introductions. It’s a more in-depth look into a subject matter many have neglected or may not have been aware of.
Me: Beyond these projects, what else are you involved with you can share with our readers?
CS: I’m glad you asked. I’ve decided to challenge myself a bit in my career and embark on two projects I’ve never done. I am currently writing my first true crime film about a serial killer in Florida that I plan to shoot in May. I also have plans of shooting a Holiday Slasher film in June. Both films are a first for me so I’m very excited to start working on the two.
Me: Lastly, being that this is our Women in Horror Movement, what special message do you have for any women out there looking to join in the industry in any capacity as you are one yourself? Thank you again for your time!
CS: Watch as many movies as you can and educate yourself in your field. Don’t ever stop learning because things are always changing in our industry. There are free classes, forums, tutorials etc. Take advantage of these opportunities and network! Lastly, don’t be selfish and support other creators. Welp, that’s it for now. Slaughter Cin, She-Wolf of Gore will scare ya later… Thanks for the ghoulish chat Don, Stay scary!!!
This interview ran as part of our 2023 Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out the rest of our month-long celebrations including various reviews and interviews:
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