A Smithie Filmmaker’s Foray into Horror

The Birds, Cujo, Jaws. Horror has never been short on terrifying animals. The earthworms in Shira Siegal ’25’s short film in VVermin may be smaller—and far less lethal—than their monstrous cousins from Tremors, but these squirmy little creatures are still a force to be reckoned with.

Originally titled Worms, in VVermin is a psychological horror short written, directed, and edited by Siegal that follows sleep-deprived protagonist Shell, who is accidentally given a stimulant instead of her sleep medication by her partner, Joan, before bed. As a result, Shell begins to see hundreds of worms all over her house, and thinks Joan is behind it all. The more worms Shell sees, the less she trusts Joan and starts to break from reality as the two of them struggle to navigate what’s happening and its effect on their relationship.

“I come up with so many ideas for little snapshots of films that I think would be really cool if they were placed within a larger story,” Siegal says of how the idea for in VVermin took shape. “I thought of this scene of two people making out, and then it was intercut with shots of worms wriggling around each other. That ended up being the very first scene.”

Siegal has always been interested in the fantastical and the macabre and how they intersect. Writer and illustrator Edward Gorey and author Maurice Sendak are two of Siegal’s biggest influences. Siegal has been creating in different mediums since childhood, and their time at Smith as a studio art major inspired them to try new things they hadn’t had access to before like printmaking, photography, and, eventually, film.

Siegal’s love for horror comes from a fondness for the odd and the unexpected. “I feel like I gravitate toward art that makes people uncomfortable, and that’s what horror is supposed to do,” they say. “I find the underlying themes so interesting, the idea that the real scary thing isn’t actually the monster; it’s usually what the monster represents. And when that’s done really well, it just makes me feel so invigorated…. Making horror stuff is more fun than making anything else.”

in VVermin is the product of a two-part special studies project Siegal began in fall 2024. They worked with Hazel Katz, a McPherson/Eveillard Post-M.F.A. Fellow in the Department of Film and Media Studies, to complete production before turning to Daniel Kramer, Grace Jarcho Ross 1933 Professor of Humanities, for guidance with the story and filming.

To bring in VVermin to life, Siegal turned to the Cushion Fund, a program through Smith’s Office for the Arts that provides financial support to student projects that advance art on campus. Recently endowed by the Jean and David W. Wallace Foundation, the fund covered the film’s art expenses. To ensure that their cast and crew were fed, Siegal raised additional funds to pay for meals.

As the story took shape, so did the team behind the scenes: Siegal’s brother composed the film’s music. Two of Siegal’s close friends, Max Lerin ’25 and Mayte Sarmiento ’26 stepped into the lead roles; they both were part of last fall’s sold-out performances of Marie Antoinette as co-director and Marie herself, respectively. Thanks to word of mouth and chatter on social media, more than 25 Smithies eventually volunteered to be part of the project. By then, Siegal had already made a name for themself in Smith’s film and arts scene. Their talent, efficiency, and thoughtfulness inspired their peers to get involved.

“It was very surreal, that so many people trusted my leadership skills and creative process enough to commit to something before they knew anything about it,” Siegal says of the outpouring of support.

Still putting the finishing touches on the film, Siegal plans to submit in VVermin to film festivals while continuing down an artistic path they say blossomed during their time at Smith. “I really came into myself as an artist at Smith,” they say. “I trust my ability to create now, and I’ve found so many passions that I didn’t previously have or know that I had.”