After being involved in a previous Women in Horror Month article, I'm pleased to welcome back Crystal Connor to talk about her upcoming genre film festival The Cabin in the Woods Film Festival and several other big projects of hers.
Me: Hello and thank you for returning! Among the many things you’ve accomplished since last we spoke is starting the Cabin in the Woods Festival. What was the initial inspiration for starting a new genre film festival?
Crystal Connor: Hi thanks for having me back. So first off, Cabin In The Woods Film Festival isn’t a new genre. Cabin In The Woods Film Festival is accepting all horror and horror adjacent films, so sci-fi horror, romance horror, and fantasy horror but the films need to be 30 minutes or less because it’s a short film festival. CiTW might take features down the line as we grow but we’ll see.
What makes CiTW unique from other awesome horror film festivals is its structure. There are two venues: The cabin and the theater, both of which are small and intimate. There will also be a streaming tract called Virtual Forest Scream Festival with a completely different programming than Cabin In The Woods that will run parallel with the theater programming. The virtual guest will stream into the theater where the winners from both festivals will be announced.
So normally when you attend a film festival all the films have already been judged, but with CiTW the VIP Cabin Guests will judge the films while staying in a Cabin In The Woods. After each film block, the ballots will be placed in a locked box. After the last block, the foreman will be sequestered to tally the votes. The votes will be sealed in an envelope. That’s days 1 -3
All of the films will be shown in the theater starting in the afternoon of day 3 and everyone will find out who the winners are at the award ceremony in the theater at the end of the festival.
Me: What are some of the festival’s plans for the upcoming edition? What are you most looking forward to providing for fans and attendees of the festival?
CC: This is the perfect time to answer the 2nd part of the 1st question you asked: my inspiration. When I 1st started attending film festivals I did so both as a judge and a correspondent for Live Action Reviews! by Crystal Connor. The year before Covid I went to the opening night of the HP Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland Oregon and that was the 1st time I had covered a festival without seeing the movies first. It was a blast!
The following year I attended the Grave Plot Film Festival and thanks to Covid that was the 1st time I had ever been to a virtual film festival and I loved it.
Last year I attended both the Portland Horror Film Festival and the HP Lovecraft Film Festival as a correspondent and those were the longest festivals I’ve ever attended. It was crazy, loud, and chaotic and I loved every bit of it! The only thing I was kinda bummed out about was that because of the huge program and I couldn’t watch all the films and I didn’t get a chance to interview all the directors I wanted to because of course I wasn’t the only one covering those festivals and some of the schedules for the directors were really tight. And that just comes with the territory.
And that’s how I was inspired to create a horror film festival with smaller venues and attendees because I wanted to create an amazing horror film festival experience that allows filmmakers, guests, and attendees to connect with each other on a more personal level.
I am super excited to see how attendees respond to the all-inclusive ticketing. Let’s face it, going to the movies, let alone a film festival you may have to travel to, can be pricey. As a starving artist myself I know how it is to have to eat oodles of noodles because you’re trying to save up for something, lol. Depending on which ticket is purchased the guest will know that’s one less thing they will have to budget for.
But wait … there’s more! I’ve also created a festival experience for those who choose the streaming festival. Everyone watching at home will be able to log on to the Virtual Forest Scream Festival’s social wall either with a QR Code or the link provided. There, all of the hash-tagged comments will be seen all in one place, allowing everyone to follow everyone on various social media platforms. From the social wall at home, guests will be able to participate in games, contests, win prizes and vote for the audience favorite and see the results in real time. And of course, they will be streamed into the award ceremony taking place in the theater.
Even though this is a small festival, it’s without a doubt a heavy lift. Wildly ambitious for a 1st-year film festival but the feedback I’m already getting is just cheering me on. And that’s what I am most looking forward to connecting with new people and getting feedback from 1st-year attendees.
Me: With several special guests and attendees from in and out of the community already scheduled to appear as presenters, how did this come about?
CC: The biggest thing on my side with this is the connections I’ve made in the industry over the years attending cons as an author, attending film festivals and interviewing directors and actors, and reviewing horror movies.
Even though our connection is minute, the Award-winning director of Stag Alexandra Spieth knows who I am, but even so, I was really nervous when I reached out to her and asked if she would be my guest of honor because at the time I was just another random fan girl. She was super excited I asked her and of course, I was super excited that she said yes.
I have a stronger connection with all the other guests and presenters so it was way easier to approach them.
Me: What specifically are you looking to accomplish with this setup for the festival?
CC: It’s just an element I borrowed from larger festivals, plus it’s a great way to cross-promote but if the truth must be told I just wanna hang out with my friends, lol
Me: Being a part of the festival as deeply as you are, what makes your job the most rewarding?
CC: With how different CiWT is from other festivals what I am blown away but is how excited people get when I tell them about Cabin In The Woods. And now that submissions are flowing in I feel really good that filmmakers are taking a chance with me and my brand new film festival.
Me: Beyond these factors, what else can you provide for us about the festival interested parties might want to know about?
CC: Sure, if you are interested in attending as a VIP Cabin Guest please rent a car. The wilderness in the Pacific Northwest is at least an hour and a half drive from the airport and this year’s cabin is on an island so you’ll need to be mindful of the ferry schedule. But don’t worry, more detailed information will be emailed to all VIP Cabin Guest.
Me: In addition to the festival, you’re also a part of the YouTube show Coast2Coast Horror w/Crystal & Shasha. How did this come about? CC: What was the inspiration for launching this genre discussion show?
CC: I either sent Shasha an email via YouTube or commented on one of her videos. She replied and then we followed each other on social media. She interviewed me for her show and we really hit it off. She suggested we co-host a show and we named it Coast2Coast Horror w/Crystal & Shasha because I live in Seattle and she’s in Florida.
Me: What has been your most memorable experience being a part of the show?
CC: Every time we do a show we have so much fun but the most memorable experience was doing a show on location in Florida! Shasha is such an incredible person and an amazing host and I’m super excited that she’ll be in Seattle for the festival. We’re hosting the award show as Coast2Coast.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
CC: I have two books that I am working on and two more on the back burner and once everything with the festival levels out I’ll be spending more time writing. Super excited to get back to writing.
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?
CC: Super good question. I would say believe in the projects you are working on and surround yourself with people who will support your dreams, and always remember not everyone is going to see your vision but more importantly not everyone isn’t going to say no. So don’t get discouraged when things get hard. Just take a break and a deep breath and keep pushing.
Me: Thank you again for your time!
CC: Thank you again for having me, this was fun
To check out Crystal's work, check out the following:
The Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Website
Crysal's Youtube Channel
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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