‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’: Hannah Einbinder and Jane Schoenbrun on the Future of Queer Cinema
Actor Hannah Einbinder and filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun have spoken about their new film "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma," expressing optimism that its success could encourage Hollywood to place greater trust in queer directors and showrunners. The comments came at the film's Los Angeles premiere on 29 July, with Einbinder framing the project as part of a broader push for more opportunities for queer creators in the industry.
The horror-comedy, which also stars Gillian Anderson, took $251,000 across five screens on its limited opening weekend of 7 August, averaging $50,300 per venue. Distributor Mubi plans to expand it to 50 additional theatres before a full nationwide release on 21 August. The film marks a tonal departure for Schoenbrun, known for the psychological horror of 2024's "I Saw the TV Glow," blending scares with comedy in a story about a queer filmmaker (played by Einbinder) tracking down the reclusive star of a cult slasher franchise she has been hired to reboot.
In short
- Einbinder and Schoenbrun discuss queer representation in new horror-comedy film
- "Camp Miasma" earned $251,000 from five screens on opening weekend
- Mubi expanding release before nationwide launch on 21 August
Explained simply
Queer cinema is a broad term for films centred on LGBTQ+ lives and made by LGBTQ+ creators. For many years, queer stories had limited space in mainstream film, and debates continue over who gets the chance to tell them and how much backing studios give those projects.
Jane Schoenbrun is a filmmaker known for psychological horror, while Hannah Einbinder is an actor. Their new horror-comedy follows a queer filmmaker asked to revive a cult slasher series, bringing together themes of horror, comedy and filmmaking.
The film’s performance may be watched as one example of how audiences respond to queer-led stories and whether studios see a case for backing more queer directors and showrunners. Its release is starting in a small number of cinemas before expanding.