Meet Alison Star Locke | Writer/Director/Producer (Filmmaker)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alison Star Locke and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Alison, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Accepting that writing sessions don’t always have to be some romantic, multi-hour situation. Sometimes, you can get a lot done with ten minutes stolen here and there. Establishing that I tend to be a better writer in the morning means that I work longer then and then typically do more admin-type writing/filmmaking and household/family work in the evening when my brain tends to be more mashed potatoes. I also tend to maintain a daily paper planner and time blocking has usually been very effective for productivity and alleviating anxiety, ya know, since us writers tend to be anxious folks.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I make primarily horror films with complex female leads, I’m especially interested in motherhood, about moms going through their worst nightmares concerning not only their children, but their identities outside of motherhood: their marriages, friendships, work. I’m obsessed with tension, suspense, inside all horror/thriller/action sub-genres. Once I became a mother myself, these stories got richer and more personal. I’ve learned so much from my daughter. She has autism and anxiety and she is such a loving, hilarious person, who tries so hard every day. She’s inspired my stories quite directly but I also feel like we mirror each other in terms of our tenacity and weird sense of humor. I had to learn to sort of “part the waters” in daily life so I can even attempt a balance between motherhood and filmmaking. Our society is not set up for that balance to be at all easy. We treat mothers as pretty expendable, especially in terms of our time. So I think the important thing for any artist to remember is that if it matters to us, we find the time. You have to live deliberately.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Movie theaters! LA has incredible, varied movie theaters, where you can often spot and chat with filmmakers and hardcore cinephiles. My personal favorites are The Egyptian Theater (the best popcorn in the city – the only place I get it with butter!) and The New Beverly Cinema (the concession stand is still affordable and quite varied). The movie selection and energy in both places is so inspiring. And I love Cinespia – the Hollywood Forever Cemetery screenings in the summer.
For Downtown, go to The Last Bookstore and then have too many desserts at Bottega Louie.
Favorite Mexican is El Cholo! They even catered my wedding and did a great job!
I’m a sucker for the Studio Tour tram ride at Universal Studios.
The horror row in Burbank, especially Blast From the Past and Mystic Museum, who both frequently host cool events, sell great nerd merch and actively support our community. Eat at The New Deal nearby (so cozy!) and grab chocolate-covered cannolis at Pinnochio’s.
Some favorite coffee shops/restaurants for people watching/writing/catching up: Horror Vibes Cafe (it’s not just a solid theme – everything is so yummy!), Enigma Coffee, and Aroma Coffee & Tea.
My favorite concert venue is The Greek in the summer. LA is so full of so many wonderful people to meet and things to do. I’ve lived here since 1996 and I’m forever in love!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
If this was a list, it’d be epic-long. I used to make short films with my dear friend, Stacy Jorgensen, and then I stayed home with my daughter for years. When I was ready to get back to work, I asked Stacy to read my script for The Apology. She read it right away and asked me to please let her produce it. I’m forever glad and grateful for her. Not only did she agree to produce it but she was like a dog with a bone. She just wouldn’t take no for an answer from anybody. She was determined that it was my movie to direct and she and our persistent producing team, Kim Sherman and Lisa Whalen, with significant work in the development/casting stage from Daniel Noah and Elijah Wood, made it happen. They took a stay-at-home, special needs mom and made her a filmmaker again. And I’m far from the only person she cheerleads. She’s active in her community, a great mom and overall, just human sunshine.
Instagram: @alisonstarlocke
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@alisonstarlocke4417?si=qRVXdah9P6EXwz_v
Other: @alisonstarlocke.bsky.social (BlueSky!)