Kyra Gardner is a filmmaker raised around practical effects, where blood, prosthetics, and monsters were part of everyday life. A graduate of Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts, she brings a tactile, effects-driven sensibility to stories about identity, fear, and the messy realities of being human. She made her feature debut with the documentary Living With Chucky, which premiered at Fantastic Fest, providing a unique lens into the Child’s Play franchise as only someone who grew up around the films could. Her narrative feature debut, Slay, just premiered at FrightFest UK, a tongue-in-cheek Gen Z take on the slasher genre, and will play next at Screamfest in LA.