10/27/2026
Women directors are making some of horror’s best films. So why do the franchises keep going to men?
In Part 3 of our Unpacking Horror series, Fantastic Fest director Lisa Dreyer gives us her answer, and explains what it takes for a horror film to earn a spot at a festival that takes film and fun equally seriously.
A former special education teacher, Lisa joined the festival in 2018 as a volunteer on the pre-screening team, worked her way up to features programmer, and took over in 2022.
We discuss:
-Where she draws the line on what’s too far to show, and why depiction doesn’t equal endorsement
-Why she’s seeing fewer submissions from women filmmakers this year, even with a majority-women team picking the films -
The story behind Fantastic Pitches, the $100K competition whose first winner, Play House, was just acquired by Focus Features
She also shares how teaching shaped the way she treats every film, what gets a submission passed on fast, why Smile’s uncompromising vision paid off, and why half the lineup comes from outside the U.S.
