Interview With Leah Sturgis, Writer and Director of ‘TRAPPED INN’

Leah Sturgis; I have always had a passion for the performing arts. From the time I was a child, I loved to entertain. My mother signed me up for dance class when I was two years old, and from then on, I was constantly choreographing dances and putting on shows. At age eight, I got a hold of my dad‘s video camera and made a little horror film. Years later, I was cast as a Viking villager in a John McTiernan film, and every night, I would go home from the set, fall asleep, and dream that I was directing the movie alongside him. That is when I knew I wanted to be a director. Predator was one of my favorite movies growing up. Witnessing this great director on the set inspired me and put me on this path.

PopHorror: What inspired Trapped Inn?

Leah Sturgis; The story of Trapped Inn came from a vision I had of humanity on the verge of destruction. I traveled around the world, visiting ancient ruins and learning about civilizations that have come and gone throughout history. t started to think about how vulnerable we are as a species and that we could be destroyed or destroy ourselves. I had this feeling that I was seeing humanity in its final act. Then COVID came, and we were all locked down, so I wove all those ideas I had been ruminating on into a story. Without giving away the ending, I will say the film’s purpose is to serve as a warning.

Leah Sturgis; I started in the film industry over twenty years ago as a second Assistant Camera trainee. The first film I worked on was John Frankenheimer’s Reindeer Games, starring Ben Affleck and Charlize Theron. My job was building the camera, loading film, handling lenses, and slating. It was a great experience working for such a legendary director at such a young age.