NYCC 2017: The Carmilla Movie Stakes Its Claim

Based on the Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Carmilla is the little web series that could. Thanks to a passionate and dedicated fanbase, Carmilla had three successful seasons on YouTube and recently wrapped production on a feature-length film. The Carmilla Movie will be available to stream October 27th (unless you pre-order the film, then you get it October 26th!), and the cast and producers were at New York Comic Con to promote it.

The NYCC panel for The Carmilla Movie opened with the premiere of the trailer for the film. Check it out:

The panel, echoing last year’s where the movie announcement was made, was all about inclusion and representation. The panelists – stars Elise Bauman (Laura) and Natasha Negovanlis (Carmilla) and producers Melanie Windle and Steph Ouaknine – emphasized the importance of queer representation in today’s media. Negovanlis talked about how, from her little bubble of privilege in a fairly liberal city in Canada, she had no idea how much work still needed to be done.

The movie seems to be doing its level best to break down these walls brick by brick. Every character in the film, except for their one token guy, is either female or nonbinary. It was also important for the producers to both show a lesbian couple committed and happy (“without the threat of imminent death” according to Bauman) and not fall in to painful lesbian stereotypes (like the psycho ex). Negovanlis was adamant that there is no relationship angst in The Carmilla Movie, and no love triangle, even though Carmilla’s ex (played by Wynonna Earp‘s Dominique Provost-Chalkley) is back in her life. Putting conflict in the relationship would have been an easy way to put conflict in the story, but the producers didn’t want that; it felt too lazy to them.

The panelists also praised the fans, stating that without them, none of this would have been possible. In the press room, Negovanlis shared a touching story about a fan who recently passed away and mentioned that she hopes they can have the film dedicated to her. Bauman said that the greatest gift she has ever received from a fan is the knowledge that the show has changed lives. That is, she insists, the purpose of art.

Check out our interviews with Elise Bauman and Natasha Negovanlis below:

Visit The Carmilla Movie official site to pre-order the film so that you can see the movie before everyone else! If you’re in Canada, you may be able to catch a screening in theaters on October 26th.

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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