Over the past year, We Are Indie Horror has managed to bring you several amazing, wonderful independent horror artists from all around the world. What started as a weekly Facebook blog has turned into a multi-headed beast. This weeks Featured FearMaker sent us her short film months ago, and has since worked with WAIH, including directing a segment for our YouTube series Candi’s Lab, which will be out later this year. Mary C. Russell has been working towards a career in film since she was young, and has been making huge strides in the past few years.
Originally from San Fransisco, Mary spent most of her life living as an expat in Singapore. After watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Birds, Mary quickly closed all the blinds and sat alone for fear of having her eyes pecked out. The emotions that Mary felt brought her the realization of the power of film. The ability to give a true, visceral, emotional experience to an audience is an intoxicating and exhilarating ride; a ride that Mary was instantly infatuated with. “The magic of film can do that, make us think and wonder about our lives and emotions. It’s incredible.”
Mary moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film. She graduated from Columbia College Hollywood with a BFA in TV/Cinema, majoring in directing. Horror has always been a passion for Mary. An outspoken lover of horrific scenes and violent films, Mary is not ashamed of her love for the genre. One of her favorite films would be Quentin Tarantino’s high speed thriller Deathproof. “Not many people enjoy the film because they feel the over use of dialogue in the beginning scenes kill the movie. It effected me greatly in many ways even though Tarentino himself thought it wasn’t his best film.” It was the simplicity of the situation in the film that turned Mary onto the genre, with such a simple premise bringing so much action and horror. She has since used this model to create her works, including her award-winning short film Carved
Mary’s directorial debut, Carved, tells the story of an evil killer spirit which possesses people to do it’s deadly bidding. Written by Mary and Stephen Czerwinski, the film follows four beautiful women on a road trip when the evil spirit comes for them. Reminiscent of old grindhouse flicks, Carved has screened across the country, with a possible feature in the works. We will have a full review of the short film later this week, so keep an eye out.
Mary is currently working on her next short film, The Dröm, an Alice in Wonderland inspired story about a woman named Iris who must battle through her own dreamworld. Alongside The Dröm, Mary is currently in development of her creature feature which she will be directing. Together with illustrator Summer Van Der Wolf, they are collaborating to bring a terrifying and horrific monster to life.
Mary C. Russell is a hard working individual with a desire to keep creating amazing and horrific art. She currently works as a freelance script supervisor, as well as occasionally modeling and acting. Her drive, spirit, and passion for her work is evident, and her networking skills are impeccable. “I’ve met people in coffee shops, grocery stores, conventions, modeling shoots, and even sitting right next to me at the Cheesecake Factory bar that have gotten me farther in my career, and I’m thankful for everyone of them.” She does what she loves, and her dedication and devotion to her craft shows in her work.
