[Event Review] Access: Horror Film Festival (2023)

A two-day event packed full of academic panels, short films, and talks exploring and celebrating the history, impact and future of disability in the horror genre. 

The first weekend in July, 2023, one of our very own Ghouls, Ariel Baska, hosted an incredibly successful horror festival. Not only was it her first festival, but it is the first festival of its kind. Access:Horror spent two full days exploring disability in the horror genre. The fest featured three film blocks in partnership with Fantastic Fest, Final Girls Berlin, and Superfest, and several panel discussions both days.

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The two days were divided into the topics “Where We’ve Been” and “Where We’re Going.” Each day included several panel discussions with filmmakers, journalists, horror experts, and disability experts. The diversity in the panels was the most I’ve seen at a film fest. On day one, “Where We’ve Been” included topics such as intersectional identities and mental health, as well as festival programming and gatekeeping in horror. The first day set a foundation of where horror is now, and what we have to work with. Day two, “Where We're Going,” looked ahead with topics such as institutions and advocacy, and restructuring film production with accessibility in mind. The second day pointed us toward the radical changes that need to happen in the horror space to make it more accessible for everyone.

A festival all about accessibility in horror had to be an accessible festival, which it was. The entire festival was available to stream online up to two weeks after the event, making it easier for people with different schedules to get involved. Every image had a description, captioning was a given, and there were sign language interpreters during the panels. Because the Access:Horror team knew they couldn't think of everything, they included a request button on the website so individuals could request accommodations, and the team did their best to meet them. The event was relatively affordable, with tickets for $10 to $20. 

Access:Horror kicked off with introductions from Guillermo del Toro, Millicent Simmonds, and Suz Romero. All told, the successful weekend included three and a half hours of films created by disabled filmmakers, depicting disability and horror, eight and a half hours of panels discussing disability and horror, and sold 243 passes and over 1,000 event tickets unlocked for the individual events.  This was only the beginning, and we can’t wait for the future of Access:Horror.

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