Gale Anne Hurd, 69, the producer of ‘The Terminator’ (1984), ‘Aliens’ (1986), ‘Armageddon’ (1998), ‘The Incredible Hulk’ (2008), and the series ‘Walking Dead’ (2021), among other titles, will receive the Noémia Delgado Award for Remarkable Women in Horror, established by the MOTELX festival starting next Tuesday, September 9.
The career award recognizes her for an “unrepeatable trajectory,” and Gale Anne Hurd, in an interview with Lusa, acknowledges the importance of “distinguishing women who were pioneers,” particularly those working in the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, which are often overshadowed by other cinematic genres.
“This genre is still relevant, and you can see it in the box office, where popularity keeps the cinema business alive and excites the fans. […] And if you look at horror film audiences, the viewers are mostly women,” emphasized the producer.
Gale Anne Hurd, who is just weeks away from her 70th birthday, began her film career in the 1970s in production roles, mentored by director and producer Roger Corman and producer Debra Hill.
In 1984, she achieved one of her first career successes as a producer with “The Terminator,” a futuristic and apocalyptic film directed by James Cameron, featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton.
Gale Anne Hurd recalls that the intent of the film, which already touched upon artificial intelligence and the end of humanity, “was to show the dark side of technology,” a theme even more relevant today.
“We need to be cautious; just because something is new and makes our lives easier doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous. We need rules and people that act like doctors, with the Hippocratic oath to do no harm. This should also apply to technology,” asserted the producer.
She describes herself as “someone who specialized in apocalyptic projects” and who wants “to celebrate cultures that are peaceful, where people know how to coexist.”
One of her recent projects, besides producing the horror series ‘Walking Dead,’ was a documentary on the YouTube platform, ‘The YouTube Effect’ (2022).
“Algorithms on platforms are designed to radicalize, divide, and make us angry. The way they monetize is by making us angry and profiting from it. […] It’s crucial now to maintain connections. We are so divided on social media, in politics. Anything that can unite us is important,” she stated.
She enjoys pop culture conventions, festivals, and events that foster interaction.
Next week, she will attend MOTELX for the first time, but it won’t be her first visit to Lisbon, where she has owned an apartment for four years.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy it as much as I’d like, but I think it’s one of my favorite places in the world, and I’ve been to many,” she remarked, praising Portugal as “one of the most peaceful countries in the world.”
Gale Anne Hurd believes much of her work involves producing stories that serve as warnings about humanity and human instincts, and she has “some projects” she hopes to realize in Portugal, Canada, Mexico, or Australia.
She notes there are fewer films made in the United States, with diminishing financing and fewer studios due to acquisitions.
“The difference between the United States and other countries is that we have no federal funding for the arts. What once existed was abolished by this administration. There’s never any money for films, so when financing a movie, there’s only a commercial interest,” she said.
Gale Anne Hurd, honored in the inaugural edition of the Noémia Delgado Award, will be at Cinemateca Portuguesa on September 12 for a masterclass discussing cinema and her over 40-year career.
The 19th edition of MOTELX is scheduled from September 9 to 15 at Cinema São Jorge in Lisbon.
