“Why Horror, Why Now?” - Fireside Chat with Vera Miao & Kelly Marie Tran
Summary
Why Horror, Why Now?” - Fireside Chat with Vera Miao & Kelly Marie Tran <p> Join writer/director Vera Miao and actor/producer Kelly Marie Tran for an intimate conversation exploring "Why Horror, Why Now?" through the lens of their boundary-pushing collaboration on ROCK SPRINGS. Fresh off their Sundance and SXSW premieres, Miao and Tran will go deep into what draws them to horror in this moment, especially ghost stories, and how the inventive genre offers profound and unparalleled freedom to confront fear, grief, power, and belonging. <p> The discussion will also dive into how horror creates space for richer AAPI representation, moving beyond tropes to reclaim myth, history, and lived diasporic experience. As part of the chat, Miao will share exclusive behind-the-scenes images from the film’s creature development, inspired by Chinese mythology and the concept of hungry ghosts, alongside archival photographs from the Chinese-American community affected by the Rock Springs Massacre. Together, Miao and Tran illuminate how horror can be both visceral and vital, transforming collective memory into cinematic reckoning, and proving why the genre feels not only timely, but necessary.
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