Two Indie Horror Producers Ready Their Directorial Debuts

Jenn Wexler and Roxanne Benjamin, the prolific producers behind DARLING, FAULTS, V/H/S and others, are helming their first feature films.

By Jun. 14, 2016

If you're a fan of the new wave of indie horror (DON'T call it Deathwave) that's come down the pike in the past couple years, EW has some good news for you: two feature-film directorial debuts have just been announced, from two of the hardest working, most horror-centric producers out there. 

Jenn Wexler, who produced Mickey Keating's Darling a year ago and already has four more producer credits in the hopper, will transition into feature directing with The Ranger (which she's co-written). Ms. Wexler is a producer for Larry Fessenden's Glass Eye Pix, and been cutting her directing teeth on horror shorts for the last few years. She was also recently tapped to serve as a Master at Shudder's inaugural filmmaking retreat, so it's safe to say she knows her stuff. We're excited to see what The Ranger is all about. Because currently all we got is a title. 

Meanwhile Roxanne Benjamin, prolific producer of such recent horror favorites as The Devil's Candy, V/H/S, and Faults (among many, many others), will be helming her first solo feature, We Summon The Darkness. Last year Benjamin wrote and directed a segment of the well-received anthology Southbound. She also sang the praises of Peter Hyams' Outland on this very site, so you know she checks out. (Where do these kids get the energy? I got tired just reading their CVs.) We Summon The Darkness is a 2015 Blood List script by Alan Trezza. 

The projects will be shopped this July at The Frontières International Co-Production Market, which is described by friends of Birth.Movies.Death. as "basically like filmmaking speed dating. You shop your project around with dozens of financiers who are looking for cool things to spend cash on...Jenn, Roxanne, and many others will be bringing their projects to the market and see if they can secure financing there." We at BMD wish these two talented filmmakers the best of luck; one look at their respective track records and it's clear these projects will be before cameras sooner than later. 

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