Make Your Horror Script Stand Out with Adrian G. De La Peña

Horror, as a genre, remains popular among indie filmmakers. That means it’s even more important to have your work stand out from the rest. Come to this workshop to learn how to use your lived experience within your idea, avoid the common cliches, and work with the genre in surprising ways.

Adrian G. De La Peña is a genre-bending Mexican filmmaker based in Canada with over 15 years of experience across narrative, documentary, and commercial projects. Known for his sharp eye, bold storytelling, deep empathy, and culturally grounded approach, he moves fluidly between genre-focused narratives, nonfiction work, and industry mentorship. His films have screened at over 25 international festivals and earned multiple awards. He has been selected for the Horror Development Lab 2022 at Blood in the Snow Film Festival, the Genre Rules Lab at WEMW’s Trieste Film Festival, and the Film Market Access Market Readiness Program at Marche du Film in Cannes Film Festival.

This event is sponsored by the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers. CSIF was founded in 1978 by a collective of twelve filmmakers who saw the growing need for film resources and film equipment on the traditional Treaty 7 territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), also known as Calgary, Alberta. Now over 40 years later we are an integral part of the growing cultural community in Calgary and are excited about new collaborations and opportunities.