Award-Winning Screenwriter Ella Valentine Founds The World’s First Film Magazine for Women in Horror
Award-Winning Screenwriter Ella Valentine Founds The World’s First Film Magazine for Women in Horror
In May 2024 Multi-award-winning screenwriter Ella Valentine founded Horror Valentines, the world’s first film magazine solely dedicated to women in the horror and thriller space. Her vision was empowerment of women globally and enrichment of the literary and film landscape while offering a platform for women to share opinions, interviews, and news within the female-led horror genre.
Ella gained recognition for her debut feature, Revolution X, which she co-wrote with director Matt Cannon in 2023. The film went on to win Best Sci-Fi Film at the London Independent Film Awards in 2023, Best Sci-Fi at the European Film Union and Best Sci-Fi at The Benelux International Film Festival and Best Feature at The Fantasy / Sci-Fi Film and Screenplay Festival. Ella is currently working on a couple of psychological horrors (“This is What You Wanted” and a horror based on the mythological creature Baba Yaga) which prompted her to create a new platform for women in horror.
Valentine is committed to featuring diverse voices and unique female perspectives all on a brand new and safe platform that promotes female filmmakers. One of the magazine’s upcoming features will include a job board where film studios will be able to advertise jobs within the industry to promote gender diverse hiring.
This dedication to inclusivity and representation has helped her attract a significant readership within just a few months of founding the company. Some of the interviews for Horror Valentines include ones with Jill Gevargizian, writer and director of The Stylist and Ghost Game, Monica Garcia Bradley whose horror film, Guys At Parties Like It premiered earlier this year, Liz Manashil, whose anticipated third feature, Best Friends Forever is set for a release this year, and an upcoming interview with Dana Kippel, an indie horror and winner of the Grand Jury Award at Florida Film Festival in 2021, whose directorial debut Reflect is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
Breaking into the industry wasn’t easy for Ella as much as it isn’t for many talented women worldwide. She hopes that Horror Valentines will give up-and-coming female filmmakers more opportunities for exposure, collaboration and even financing.
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria and based in London, Ella is an advocate for equal opportunities. Looking to the future, Ella plans to continue fostering creativity and expanding the female horror community. Her vision is one of upliftment and enrichment, where women from all walks of life find inspiration and support through her newly found magazine. Ella remains focused on uplifting diverse female writers and directors and is set to leave an indelible mark on the film industry and beyond.
When asked for her thoughts on both female directors and stars currently working within the horror genre Ella responded, “I consider Mia Goth today’s scream queen, and I always look forward to seeing what she does next. I think Maika Monroe has also been phenomenal in recent thrillers and horrors such as IT FOLLOWS, WATCHER and LONGLEGS. And dare I say that everyone, not just me is obsessed with Coralie Fargeat (REVENGE, THE SUBSTANCE) these days! Female horror filmmakers are thriving right now, and I couldn’t be more inspired creatively by watching these amazing women do their magic.”
As with everyone else we’ve spoken to recently, currently Ella is considering checking out the latest flick from director Coralie Fargeat, “…the Demi Moore starrer THE SUBSTANCE which is winning rave reviews.” Ella then adds. “I am very excited about this year’s horror releases by female writers and directors. Both THE SUBSTANCE and BLINK TWICE offer a vivid imagery of women’s experiences in today’s society and ask important questions. How long are we going to put up with the male gaze? I think the revolution has started thanks to talented filmmakers like Coralie Fargeat and Zoe Kravitz.”
