Producer wants more recognition for female pioneers in horror cinema

Gale Anne Hurd, 69, producer of 'The Terminator' (1984), 'Aliens' (1986), 'Armaggedon' (1998), 'The Incredible Hulk' (2008) and the series 'Walking Dead' (2021), among other titles, will receive the Noémia Delgado Award for Notable Women in Horror, created by the MOTELX festival, which starts next Tuesday, the 9th.

The career award is given to her for an "unrepeatable trajectory", and Gale Anne Hurd, in an interview with the Lusa news agency, recognizes the importance of "distinguishing women who were pioneers", particularly those who work within the genres of terror, science fiction, fantasy, often overtaken in relation to other cinematic genres.

"This genre is still relevant and this is reflected at the box office, where popularity is what keeps the movie business going and fans excited. [...] And if we look at the audiences for horror and horror films, the viewers are mostly women," the producer emphasized.

Gale Anne Hurd, who is just a few weeks away from her 70th birthday, began working in film in the 1970s, working in production roles, mentored by director and producer Roger Corman and producer Debra Hill.

In 1984, one of the first successes of her career as a producer was released, "The Terminator", a futuristic and apocalyptic film directed by James Cameron, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton.

Gale Anne Hurd recalls that, at the time, the intention of this film, which already discussed artificial intelligence and the end of humanity, "was to show the dark side of technology," a theme that is even more pertinent today.

"We have to be careful, we have to understand that just because something is new and makes our lives easier, it's still dangerous. We need rules and people who act like doctors, with the Hippocratic Oath, to do no harm. This should also apply to technology," the producer argued.

Gale Anne Hurd describes herself as "someone who specializes in apocalyptic projects" and who wants to "celebrate cultures that are peaceful, where people know how to be with each other."

One of Gale Anne Hurd's most recent projects, in addition to the horror production 'Walking Dead', was a documentary about the YouTube platform, 'The YouTube Effect' (2022).

"The algorithms on the platforms are designed to radicalize us, to divide us, to make us angry. And the way they monetize the platforms is to make us angry and profit from it. [...] It's important to stay connected these days. We're so separated, on social media, in politics. Anything that can unite us is important," he said.

That's why he says he loves pop culture conventions, festivals, concerts, where there is this interaction.

Next week she will be at MOTELX for the first time, but it will not be a debut for Gale Anne Hurd in Lisbon, where she has had an apartment for four years.

"I haven't had the opportunity to enjoy it as much as I'd like, but I think it's one of my favorite places in the world and I've been to many," said the producer, praising Portugal as "one of the most peaceful countries in the world."

Gale Anne Hurd believes that much of her work involves producing stories that are warnings about humanity and human instincts, and that she has "some projects" that she hopes to bring to fruition in Portugal, Canada, Mexico, and Australia.

The producer notes that in the United States there are fewer films being made, there is less and less financing and there are fewer studios, because they have been targeted by acquisitions.

"The difference between the United States and other countries is that we don't have federal funding for the arts. What existed before was abolished by this administration. And there's never any money for film, so when a film is financed, there's only commercial interest," he said.

Gale Anne Hurd, who is honored in the first edition of the Noémia Delgado Award, will be at the Cinemateca Portuguesa on September 12th for a masterclass where she will talk about cinema and her career spanning more than 40 years.

The 19th edition of MOTELX is scheduled between the 9th and 15th of September, at Cinema São Jorge, in Lisbon.

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