We were lucky to catch up with Sydne Horton recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sydne , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
From a young age, I was chasing an escape from the reality of my small Midwestern hometown. Whether it was through storytelling with friends or rewatching my favorite movies dozens of times, I was always fascinated with anything that took me away. Being a child of a complicated open adoption, I struggled with feelings of alienation and otherness from peers. I was hesitant to draw attention to the differences in my life and because of that, I was a shy and introverted kid.
Once I was gifted my first handheld camera, and my adoption was legally finalized, my inner confidence began to bloom. Filmmaking became my safe space, a place to create whatever world I wanted to explore. Making movies became my playground, and that early feeling of accomplishment was electric.
Blending my love for genre cinema and my queerness, I found my purpose in directing stories that push societal boundaries and expectations. I aim to highlight the unseen and underrepresented, and I believe my films have fulfilled this. Finding directing eventually led me to a community around the world – of audiences that resonate with my stories and fellow creatives who support my filmmaking. Directing has allowed me to feel more confident in my identity.
Through directing films, I am finally championing, cherishing, and accepting my otherness, and by doing so, I hope I am helping others feel connected and seen.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
In my stories, I explore themes of identity, coming-of-age, and human connection, while bending genres and subverting expectations.
I am an alum of the Women in Film Directing Mentorship Program, mentored by director Maggie Kiley and Literary Agent Courtney Conwell, and an alumni of the Emmys Television Academy Internship. More recently, I have been selected as a semi-finalist for the Shondaland x SeriesFest Women Directing Program twice.
In 2019, I directed the short film, META, which screened across the world in over 30 festivals before ending its run with a 3-month exhibit at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture. Select festivals include, Outfest LA, Aesthetica Short Film, Final Girls Berlin, Salem Horror, Melbourne Queer, and more. My subsequent film, THE HOUSE SITTERS, was selected as 1 of 5 global finalists for Inside Out Toronto’s Pitch Please Competition, and it was nominated at HorrorHound for Best Short, Best Lead Performance, Best Supporting Performance, and Judges Choice.
In the summer of 2023, I wrote and directed a coming-of-age short, SATURDAY RITUAL. We are planning our upcoming festival run and working on expanding it into a feature.
Additionally, working in the prop department on various award-winning projects has strengthened my approach to directing and world-building. Currently, I am an assistant prop master on Ryan Murphy’s MONSTERS: THE ERIK AND LYLE MENENDEZ STORY (Netflix). Upcoming projects also include Ley Line’s ON SWIFT HORSES.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Often, finding the right story or team or funding is the barrier to the next creative project, so when I do have the opportunity to direct I rely on my ability to be vulnerable in my art, my resilience to chase my dream, and my adaptability on the rollercoaster that is directing. Nothing is set in stone, so learning to trust your collaborators will help everyone involved in the process succeed. Allow yourself to take risks, and allow yourself to fail. Use that failure to grow and further your craft. Remind yourself that a failure doesn’t define your success. Observe as much as you can. Notice the nuances of life, and remember how those moments look and make you feel. Storytelling resonates the most when it stems from rawness and passion. Chase what excites you, push your own limitations, and ultimately, believe in yourself.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
It takes a team to bring a project to life, so I am always looking to collaborate with like-minded creatives of all disciplines. I have directed the scripts of various writers, and I am always on the hunt for a new script that piques my interest. If you like genre-bending, horror, coming-of-age, and/or queer stories, we should connect ASAP! This also stands for production designers, producers, sound designers, gaffers, grips, composers, and colorists. We’re all in this together!
Please reach out to me on my website at www.sydnehorton.com or instagram @sydnehorton.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sydnehorton.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydnehorton
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8006219/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_q_sydne%2520horton
Image Credits
Lauren Arnold, Chad Jimenez, Ansley Martinez, Viana Martinez
