Female Horror Directors
by bannisterbergen | created - 17 Nov 2016 | updated - 17 Nov 2016 | Public1. Julia Ducournau
Director | Titane
Julia Ducournau is a French film director and screenwriter. She attended film school at La Fémis in Paris, where she studied screenwriting. In 2011, her short film JUNIOR won the Petit Rail d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Her first feature, the horror movie Raw (2016), won the coveted ...
2. St. Vincent
Soundtrack | The Nowhere Inn
St. Vincent was born on September 28, 1982 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for The Nowhere Inn (2020), XX (2017) and Greta (2018).
3. Roxanne Benjamin
Director | There's Something Wrong with the Children
Roxanne Benjamin is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. She is known for directing the horror films Body at Brighton Rock and There's Something Wrong with the Children and producing the horror anthology films V/H/S, V/H/S/2 and Southbound. She also wrote and directed segments of ...
4. Sofìa Carrillo
Director | Prita Noire
Sofìa Carrillo is known for Prita Noire (2011), The Wandering Witch (2018) and La Casa Triste (2013).
5. Karyn Kusama
Director | The Invitation
Karyn Kusama was born on March 21, 1968 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She is a director and producer, known for The Invitation (2015), Destroyer (2018) and Girlfight (2000). She has been married to Phil Hay since October 2006. They have one child.
6. Jovanka Vuckovic
Director | XX
Jovanka Vuckovic is an award winning writer and filmmaker. She got her start in broadcasting as a visual effects artist, winning a Gemini Award (Canadian Emmy) for Best Visual Effects, then went on to edit the horror publication Rue Morgue Magazine for six and a half years. Her presence at the helm...
7. Jennifer Kent
Director | The Nightingale
Jennifer Kent was born on March 5, 1969 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. She is an actress and director, known for The Nightingale (2018), The Babadook (2014) and Monster (2005).
8. Ana Lily Amirpour
Director | A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Ana Lily Amirpour was born in Margate, Kent, England, UK. She is a director and writer, known for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014), The Bad Batch (2016) and Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (2021).
9. Leigh Janiak
Director | Fear Street: 1994
Leigh Janiak is a film director and screenwriter born on February 1, 1980 in Ohio, USA. She is the daughter of Karen L. Janiak and Nestor K. Janiak of Mentor, Ohio, USA. Her feature film directorial debut was horror/mystery Honeymoon (2014) starring Rose Leslie from Game of Thrones (2011), and ...
10. Jen Soska
Director | American Mary
Identical twins, writers, directors, actors even stunt players, the Soska sisters have always loved twisted film. Even at an early age, they devoured Stephen King novels, one after another as fast as they could read - and snuck into the over 18 sections at video stores, to critique the bloody ...
11. Sylvia Soska
Director | American Mary
Identical twins, writers, directors, actors, and even stunt players, the Soska sisters have always loved twisted film. Even at an early age, they devoured Stephen King novels, one after another as fast as they could read - and would sneak into the over 18 sections at video stores, to critique the ...
12. Veronika Franz
Writer | Ich seh, Ich seh
Veronika Franz was born in 1965 in Vienna, Austria. She is a writer and director, known for Goodnight Mommy (2014), The Lodge (2019) and The Devil's Bath (2024). She is married to Ulrich Seidl. They have two children.
13. Jennifer Lynch
Director | Chained
Jennifer Lynch was born on April 7, 1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She is a director and writer, known for Chained (2012), Boxing Helena (1993) and Surveillance (2008).
14. Stewart Thorndike
Actress | Eyes Wide Shut
Stewart Thorndike is a writer/director whose debut feature, Lyle, premiered to critical praise at Outfest 2014, where star Gaby Hoffmann received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Actress. She is developing two more female-driven psychological horror films to be part of a trilogy with Lyle: The Stay ...
15. Tii Ricks
Editor | Rage: Midsummer's Eve
Tii Ricks was born in Germany, in the city of Bad Hersfeld in the US Army base. She is the daughter of a Finnish mother and a American father. The family moved from Germany to New York (USA), where they settled in Brooklyn; living right beside the Verrazano-Narrows bridge in the Fort Hamilton Army ...
16. Hélène Cattet
Director | Amer
Hélène Cattet was born in 1976 in Paris, France. She is a director and writer, known for Amer (2009), The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears (2013) and Let the Corpses Tan (2017).
17. Mona Fastvold
Director | The World to Come
Mona Fastvold was born on March 7, 1986 in Oslo, Norway. She is an actress and producer, known for The World to Come (2020), The Sleepwalker (2014) and The Childhood of a Leader (2015). She was previously married to Sondre Lerche.
18. Kimberly Peirce
Director | Boys Don't Cry
Kimberly Peirce was born on September 8, 1967 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA. She is a director and producer, known for Boys Don't Cry (1999), Stop-Loss (2008) and Carrie (2013).
19. Tricia Lee
Director | Good Chance
Tricia Lee is an accomplished AAPI female filmmaker whose ability to blend heart-warming and heart-breaking stories with uplifting humor has earned her recognition on the 2020 (GOOD CHANCE), 2021 (IDOL) and 2023 (AMERICAN DREAMS) Black List. As a fellow of the SONY Diverse TV Writers Program, ...
20. Laura Lau
Producer | Open Water
Laura Lau was born on March 31, 1963 in San Francisco, California, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for Open Water (2003), Silent House (2011) and Grind (1997). She has been married to Chris Kentis since 1997. They have one child.
21. Sarah Adina Smith
Director | Buster's Mal Heart
Sarah Adina Smith is known for Buster's Mal Heart (2016), The Midnight Swim (2014) and Birds of Paradise (2021).
22. Ursula Dabrowsky
Director | Inner Demon
Ursula Dabrowsky is known for Inner Demon (2014) and Family Demons (2009).
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