Izzy Lee

{{Short description|American filmmaker and writer}}{{Infobox person

| name = Izzy Lee

| image = File:Izzy Lee dark cropped hi res.jpg

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| caption = Lee in 2014

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| alma_mater = Massachusetts College of Art and Design

| occupation = Filmmaker, director, producer, actor, writer

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Izzy Lee is an American filmmaker and writer, known for her short films Re-Home (2019),{{cite web |title=Cinepocalypse 2019: Izzy Lee's 'Re-Home' – Short Film Review |url=https://www.pophorror.com/cinepocalypse-2019-izzy-lees-re-home-short-film-review/ |website=Pop Horror|date=19 June 2019 }} The Obliteration of the Chickens (2019),{{cite web |title=THE SHORT FILMS OF IZZY LEE #2 (2019) |url=http://www.cinedump.com/reviews/2019/6/13/the-short-films-of-izzy-lee-2-2019 |website=Cinedump|date=13 June 2019 }} My Monster (2018), and Innsmouth, which she produced through her company Nihil Noctem.{{Cite web|url=http://iconsoffright.com/2016/04/28/intvw-a-six-pack-of-new-england-film-making-master-minds-pt-1/|title=INTVW: A SIX PACK OF NEW ENGLAND FILM-MAKING MASTER MINDS, PT.1|date=2016-04-28|website=Icons of Fright|access-date=2016-05-26|archive-date=2020-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404093717/http://iconsoffright.com/2016/04/28/intvw-a-six-pack-of-new-england-film-making-master-minds-pt-1/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.thterrortime.com/interview-with-innsmouth-director-izzy-lee/|title=Interview with 'Innsmouth' Director Izzy Lee|date=2016-03-23|website=Tom Holland's Terror Time|language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-26}} She has written for multiple outlets such as Birth.Movies.Death,{{cite web |title=Izzy Lee |url=https://birthmoviesdeath.com/author/izzy.lee |website=Birth. Movies. Death}} Rue Morgue,{{cite web |title=Izzy Lee |url=https://rue-morgue.com/tag/izzy-lee/ |website=Rue Morgue}} TwitchFilm, and Fangoria and has also helped program and curate film festivals like the Boston Underground and the Boston Sci-Fi Fest.

Lee began showing an interest in horror in kindergarten and later attended the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, where she received a BFA in illustration.{{Cite web|url=http://www.darkveins.com/en/152420-interview-with-actress-writer-and-director-izzy-lee/|title=Interview with actress, writer and director Izzy Lee|last=Torretti|first=Barbara|date=2015-08-14|website=DarkVeins|language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-26}} She initially started as an actor and writer, but branched out into filmmaking in order to "see if I could do it".

Lee started her filmmaking career in Massachusetts, where she was featured on WCVB Channel 5’s news show, Chronicle. in 2021.{{cite web |title=New England native Izzy Lee takes on the strange and unusual in her short films |url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/indie-spotlight-new-england-native-izzy-lee-takes-on-the-strange-and-unusual-in-her-short-films/36560451 |website=WVCB5|date=29 May 2021 }} Lee has gained a following leading up to articles which shine a light on her talent as an up-and-coming director, such as "one of 10 female horror directors Blumhouse should hire" from The A.V. Club,{{cite web |last1=Rife |first1=Katie |title=We rounded up 10 female horror directors for Jason Blum, who seems to have trouble finding them |url=https://www.avclub.com/we-rounded-up-10-female-horror-directors-for-jason-blum-1829824166 |website=The A.V. Club}} as well as from author and film festival programmer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, who stated that "...Izzy Lee... is going to be massive once she gets the break that she deserves" in Entertainment Weekly.{{cite magazine |title=1000 Women in Horror author says book could have been ten times longer |url=https://ew.com/books/1000-women-in-horror/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}

Lee often works with socio-political themes in horror and thrillers, as well as cult or weird genres.{{cite web |title=Writer/Directory Izzy Lee once again defies the "Genre Box" with the experimental short film, 'The Obliteration of the Chickens' |url=https://hellbentforhorror.com/news-and-extras/writerdirectory-izze-lee-once-again-defies-the-genre-box-with-the-experimental-short-film-the-obliteration-of-the-chickens |website=Hellbent for Horror}}{{cite web |title=THE SHORT FILMS OF IZZY LEE (2017) |url=http://www.cinedump.com/reviews/2017/5/9/the-short-films-of-izzy-lee?rq=izzy%20lee |website=Cinedump| date=9 May 2017 }} Lee's first short film, Legitimate, was released in 2013 and was partially inspired by Representative Todd Akin's comments about "legitimate" rape. The following year, Lee directed a trailer, Come Out and Play, for Christopher Golden's 2014 novel Snowblind.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkGHi1Qer3c|title=Come Out and Play|last=Lee|first=Izzy|date=January 5, 2014|website=YouTube|publisher=|access-date=May 26, 2016}} In 2015 Lee released Innsmouth, which was inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, particularly The Shadow over Innsmouth.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/126029/travel-to-innsmouth-for-a-teaser-and-some-stills/|title=Travel to Innsmouth for a Teaser and Some Stills|website=Dread Central|date=14 September 2015 |language=en-US|access-date=2016-02-05}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/latest-reviews-of-movies/12980-innsmouth-review|title=INNSMOUTH (Short Film)|website=Starburst Magazine|access-date=2016-02-05|archive-date=2016-02-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205170437/http://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/latest-reviews-of-movies/12980-innsmouth-review|url-status=dead}} The short received some media attention for Lee's choice to feature a predominantly female cast, which she did in order to "make [Lovecraft] roll over in his grave a little by having the cast 98% female and switching the gender roles.”{{Cite web|url=http://diaboliquemagazine.com/innsmouth-izzy-lee-review/|title=Izzy Lee puts a New Spin on Lovecraft with Short INNSMOUTH|date=2016-03-08|website=Diabolique Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-26}}

Her short film Re-Home (2019) started as a reaction to the promise of a wall built between the United States and Mexico.{{cite web |title=Cinepocalypse 2019: Izzy Lee's 'Re-Home' – Short Film Review |url=https://www.pophorror.com/cinepocalypse-2019-izzy-lees-re-home-short-film-review/ |website=Pop Horror|date=19 June 2019 }} Lee has also tackled abuse within the Catholic Church with Rites of Vengeance (2017){{cite web |title=RITES OF VENGEANCE: Short Film Review |url=https://www.screamhorrormag.com/rites-vengeance-short-film-review/ |website=SCREAM|date=8 June 2017 }} and revenge porn with For A Good Time, Call... (2017).{{cite web |title=Short Film, Short Review: FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL... |url=https://screenanarchy.com/2017/03/short-film-short-review-for-a-good-time-call.html |website=Screen Anarchy|date=21 March 2017 }}

In 2023, her short film, Meat Friend{{cite web |last1=Malone |first1=Stephanie |title=13 Stellar Shorts From Genreblast 2022 |date=11 September 2022 |url=https://morbidlybeautiful.com/13-best-genreblast-shorts/ |access-date=2 February 2023}} starring Marnie McKendry{{cite web |last1=Melanson |first1=Angel |title=A Sentient Pile Of Murderous Hamburger Meat: Watch The MEAT FRIEND Teaser Now |url=https://www.fangoria.com/original/a-sentient-pile-of-murderous-hamburger-meat-watch-the-meat-friend-teaser-now/ |website=Fangoria |date=4 March 2022 |access-date=2 February 2023}} (daughter of fellow horror filmmakers Rebekah and David McKendry),{{cite web |last1=Fassel |first1=Preston |title=[review] With 'memento Mori' And 'meat Friend,' Izzy Lee Ups Her Short Game- And Shows She Needs A Feature |url=http://dailygrindhouse.com/thewire/review-with-memento-mori-and-meat-friend-izzy-lee-ups-her-short-game-and-shows-she-needs-a-feature/ |website=Daily Grindhouse |access-date=2 February 2023}} Megan Duffy, and Steve Johanson, was nominated for Best Short by Fangoria for their annual Chainsaw Awards.{{cite web |last1=Gilchrist |first1=Todd |title=Jordan Peele's 'Nope,' Ti West's 'Pearl' Lead Fangoria's Chainsaw Award Nominations |url=https://variety.com/2023/awards/news/fangoria-2023-chainsaw-awards-nominations-1235502663 |website=Variety |date=27 January 2023 |access-date=2 February 2023}}

The filmmaker often casts other directors in her short films, such as: Gigi Saul Guerrero{{cite web |title=Gigi Saul Guerrero To Direct Orion Horror Thriller '10-31′ |url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/gigi-saul-guerrero-direct-orion-pictures-horror-thriller-10-31-1202830032/ |website=Deadline|date=14 January 2020 }} in Re-Home; Brea Grant and Daniel Isn't Real director, Adam Egypt Mortimer in My Monster; Silvia Graziano and The Ranger producer Heather Buckley in Rites of Vengeance; and Sophia Cacciola in Innsmouth. The author Bracken MacLeod{{cite web |title=BRACKEN MACLEOD |url=https://us.macmillan.com/author/brackenmacleod/ |website=Macmillan Publishers}} provided the voiceover for the experimental, Werner Herzog-influenced The Obliteration of the Chickens (2019),{{cite web |title=The Obliteration of the Chickens' (2019) Short Review |url=https://pophorror.com/the-obliteration-of-the-chickens-2019-short-review/ |website=Pop Horror |date=2 March 2019 |access-date=2 February 2023}} while Lee herself narrated Disco Graveyard (2020).{{cite web |last1=Danielle |first1=Tori |title=[Short Film Review] DISCO GRAVEYARD |url=https://www.nightmarishconjurings.com/2020/04/04/short-film-review-disco-graveyard/ |website=Nightmarish Conjurings |date=4 April 2020 |access-date=2 February 2023}}

Lee's debut feature, House of Ashes, premiered at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival in 2024.{{cite web |last1=Lore |first1=Justin |title=BROOKLYN HORROR FILM FESTIVAL 2024: Izzy Lee's HOUSE OF ASHES |url=https://cinepunx.com/brooklyn-horror-film-festival-2024-izzy-lees-house-of-ashes/ |website=Cinepunx|date=11 November 2024 }}