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Sapna Bhavnani (Wench) - Feature

Updated: May 11



WENCH EXPERIENCES

Founder/Director: Sapna Moti Bhavnani

Key Team: Heidi Honeycut

Projects Include: Wench Film Festival, Wench Films

A dying man seeks the ultimate release: birth in reverse.

In a new exclusive interview on Horror Valentines, Ella spoke with Sapna Bhavani about Wench Experiences. A pioneer of all things horror in India, Wench specialises in immersive, horror themed experiences and events that empower the female gaze. Known for curating unique gatherings such as film festivals, pub crawls, and themed parties under the brand, Wench Experiences has earned itself the title

"India's only horror station”. 

Founded in 2020 by Sapna, Wench Films was followed by Wench Film Festival in 2021, India’s first horror film festival. Since its first edition, it has screened 188 films and spotlighted 495 women. In October. 2024, Sapna also launched India’s very first Zombiecon, as well as Terror Talkies, India’s first horror publication launched in 2025. 

Sapna, Wench Experiences has achieved so much in championing women in film, what more can you tell us about the core focus or mission behind Wench, and what are you hoping for it to contribute to the wider genre landscape?

Wench Experiences was born from the lack of a dedicated space for horror, sci-fi, and fantasy in India not just as genres, but as serious cultural forms. My focus is on building that ecosystem through festivals, publications, and live events that push audiences to engage with genre more deeply.

A key part of this is centering women and underrepresented voices and creating space for stories that are culturally rooted, politically aware, and not confined by mainstream expectations, while also building real infrastructure for genre artists to grow and connect.

Ultimately, Wench is about shifting perception and creating continuity so genre in India isn’t treated as niche, but as a vital, evolving part of the cultural landscape.


How does Wench and all the amazing things it’s accomplished continues to drive you in this space creatively or professionally, and why does this work matter to you personally? 

Professionally, I’m driven by the need to build what didn’t exist when I was starting out; a support system, a platform, a sense of continuity. Not just moments of visibility, but an actual ecosystem where genre practitioners can exist, experiment, and be taken seriously.

Personally, as a filmmaker, this work matters because it mirrors how I see the world. Horror, sci-fi, and fantasy aren’t escapist to me, they’re ways of confronting reality more honestly. Wench is an extension of that instinct: to question, to provoke, and to make space for voices that have been pushed to the margins.


As a woman who’s already doing so much to contribute to a genre space that is still evolving in terms of representation, what is your perspective on the role of women in genre today, and where do you see the most meaningful change happening? 

Women in genre today are no longer just subjects within the frame - they’re actively shaping the language of the genre itself. What’s exciting is that many are not trying to “fit into” existing structures, but are reworking them entirely—bringing in personal histories, regional folklore, and political realities that shift what horror, sci-fi, and fantasy can look and feel like.

That said, representation isn’t just about visibility on screen. The real shift is happening behind the scenes with more women writing, directing, designing, programming, and building platforms. That’s where authorship changes, and with it, the gaze. You start to see stories that aren’t driven by spectacle alone, but by texture, ambiguity, and lived experience.

The most meaningful change, to me, is this move toward ownership and women not waiting to be included, but creating their own spaces, their own narratives, and their own audiences. That’s where genre stops being inherited and starts becoming something new.


Bringing India at the forefront with Wench, what does participating in this Cannes genre platform would mean for the company and you personally? What are you hoping it helps unlock or amplify? 

Being part of this Cannes genre platform feels like an important moment of alignment where the work we’ve been building through Wench enters a larger, global conversation without having to reshape itself to fit it.

For me, it’s an opportunity to position the Indian genre; especially work shaped by women and underrepresented voices as something that is not emerging, but already present, urgent, and evolving. It allows for visibility, but more importantly, for exchange of ideas, collaborations, and ways of thinking about genre across cultures.

What I hope it unlocks is sustained support: co-productions, distribution pathways, and deeper international engagement with the kind of stories we’re telling. And what I hope it amplifies is a perspective that is specific, rooted, and unapologetic and one that expands how genre from this part of the world is seen and valued.

PANEL FEATURE

Sapna Bhavani will be joining the Women in Genre panel at the Marché du Film, Cannes Film Festival 2026.

Women in Genre: Shaping Careers, Opening Doors & Building Power

Presented by Yes She Cannes & Fantastic Pavilion in partnership with Etheria Film Festival and Wench Film Festival

MAY 16TH | 3:30 – 4:30 PM | PALAIS STAGE, MARCHÉ DU FILM

Open to all accredited attendees Free entry | See Marché du Film Conference Schedule for details

ABOUT THE INTERVIEWER


Ella is the founder of Horror Valentines, a platform dedicated to celebrating and amplifying voices within the horror and genre space. Through interviews, features, and curated content, her work highlights emerging and established filmmakers while exploring the evolving landscape of genre storytelling. She’s also an award-winning screenwriter, with her feature film “Revolution X” currently streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.

Post created by Isabella Bonfante. Follow Isabella: @isabellabonfante

Yes She Cannes is a global platform dedicated to elevating women in film through visibility, connection and access - creating meaningful opportunities at Cannes and beyond. Follow along: @yesshecannes

 
 
 

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