Today we’d like to introduce you to Alison-Eve Hammersley.
Alison-Eve, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I remember watching The Exorcist when I was eight-years-old. That was the first time I’d felt any one emotion so strongly — that fear was so concentrated and exciting. I think I fell in love with movies that day. But it wasn’t until I was in high school that I actually made my first film. Ever since that moment I turned on my handycam, I just sort of knew. I went on to study film production at Emerson College in Boston, then I moved to LA to start my career. After a few years out here as a producer, I decided to re-focus on directing, so I continued my education in the American Film Institute’s directing program. Since then I’ve been developing and directing my own horror films, hoping to create for others that same experience I felt when I was eight.
Has it been a smooth road?
There’ve definitely been some potholes along the way, but they’ve always sort of come from me. So I guess to stick with the metaphor, rather than the road being a bit bumpy, maybe the vehicle I was driving just wasn’t suited for the terrain. With producing for instance — when I moved to LA I always thought I’d start at the bottom, PA my way into the industry, and climb through the production ladder. But after getting within arms reach of the top, I knew deep down that producing wasn’t really what made me happy, so I went back to school and started from the bottom all over again.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m a film director who focuses mainly on female-driven horror movies. My thesis film for AFI, You’ll Only Have Each Other, is what I’m most proud of at the moment. It speaks very clearly to my voice as a filmmaker and storyteller because, at its heart, YOHEO is an emotionally driven story that utilizes horror elements to enhance the story rather than replace it. I make horror films that go beyond leaning on what’s scary — I want to take what a character is feeling and tangibly manifest it for an audience to see and fear. There always has to be an emotional through-line for me, something that drives and justifies the horror.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely. LA is a city filled to the brim with creative and like-minded individuals. It’s not always so easy to find the latter, but once you do, the only thing standing in the way of getting a film made here is yourself… in theory.
Contact Info:
- Website: alisonevehammersley.com
- Phone: 860-933-8473
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/alison_hammersley
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