Manage episode 493284511 series 3600178
This week, we're slicing through the surface of the horror world to spotlight something truly revolutionary. Corey and Kendall sit down with filmmaker, podcaster, and horror disruptor Ariel Baska, whose life was forever changed the first time they locked eyes with a certain glove-wearing nightmare fiend. (Yes, we’re talking about Freddy Krueger—because of corpse we are.)
But Ariel didn’t just fall in love with horror—they reshaped it. As the founder of Access:Horror, they’ve created a hybrid film festival and industry summit that unapologetically centers disability and queerness in genre storytelling. And it’s not just inclusive—it’s “so inclusive, it’s scary.
This year’s fest is stacked:
🔪 Ten killer short films.
🧠 A panel on Blackness and Disability in Horror.
🎤 A live performance by Maya Azucena.
🎬 All shorts streaming for the first time ever on Shudder.
💀 And a silent auction that includes a literal piece of the Blair Witch house.
We talk about what it means to be the monster and the final girl, how horror became a lifeline for Ariel, and why this year’s Access:Horror is arriving at a moment when disabled communities need bold, creative resistance more than ever.
If you’ve ever felt like horror saved your life, this episode is your love letter. And if you haven’t yet? It might be the one that opens the door.
🎙 About Our Guest: Ariel Baska
Ariel Baska is a queer disabled filmmaker, podcaster, and the founder of Access:Horror. They are also the host of Ride the Omnibus, a show exploring media through a social justice lens. Ariel’s upcoming documentary, Monstrous Me, produced by Lilly Wachowski, dives into their personal relationship with horror, disability, and the monster that started it all: Freddy Krueger.
Ariel’s building spaces in horror that don’t just welcome people with disabilities—they center them. Their work isn’t performative. It’s personal, political, and pointed like the end of a clawed glove.
🕯 Access:Horror 2025 — Details
📍 In-person: August 1, DCTV Firehouse Cinema, NYC
🌍 Streaming worldwide
📺 Streaming partner: Shudder
🧠 In partnership with: George A. Romero Foundation
🎤 Hosts: Ariel Baska, Sharai Bohannon, Xero Gravity
🏆 Awards host: Phil Nobile Jr., Editor-in-Chief of Fangoria
🎟 Tickets & info: accesshorrorfest.com
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