Avalon Fast’s “Camp” Opens in Theaters

Fast’s debut “Honeycomb” (2022) won the Next Wave award at Fantastic Fest, placing her in the “Girl Horror” movement of queer filmmakers. “Camp” was shot in Alberta forests using a former Tim Horton soccer camp, evolving from curiosity-driven shorts into a vehicle for sharing Fast’s inner life.

Variety Magazine

Fast wrote and directed, with Eily Sprungman as cinematographer and Sofiya Iurkevych providing design. The cast features Zola Grimmer (Emily), Alice Wordsworth (Clara), Cherry Moore (Rosie), Lea Rose Sebastianis (Nev), Sophie Bawks-Smith (Jo), Austyn Van de Kamp (Dan) and Ella Reece (counselor).

IndieWire

Sprungman’s “ethereal and surreal” camerawork reflects the team’s Alberta roots. The film nods to Renaissance art with an Ophelia motif and mixes gels, fog, and animation, shifting from glossy crispness to an enchanted blur.

Variety Magazine

“Camp” subverts Christian-summer-camp horror by foregrounding queer sisterhood and witchcraft as trauma-processing tools. Critics group it with women-directed genre films such as Sophy Romvari’s *Blue Heron* and Chandler Levack’s *Mile End Kicks*. Its healing narrative challenges conventional redemption arcs.

Splice Today

Fast said the film lets her “share herself and feel understood” through cinema, marking a shift from curiosity to expression. Sprungman said that the land and its inherent magic were central to the film’s visual tone. Dark Sky Films confirmed theatrical rollout and streaming plans.

Variety Magazine

Reviews are mixed. Some praise the “gorgeous, dream-like” visuals and sisterhood, while others label the opening “Truth-or-Dare” scene “crappy” and the narrative “dreary.” The lo-fi aesthetic is praised, but the mood-driven plot draws criticism for lacking clear catharsis.

IndieWire

Sources differ in reliability scores, and no box-office, runtime, or budget figures have been disclosed. Audience reception metrics remain unavailable.

The Wrap

• “The best way that I’m able to share myself and to feel understood is to put it in film.” — Avalon Fast, Director

Variety Magazine

• “There’s a big Ophelia reference in the film, and that was really fun.” — Eily Sprungman, Cinematographer

Variety Magazine

• “The problem with describing the plot of Fast’s “Camp” is that it places way, way too much emphasis on the plot.” is that it places way, way too much emphasis on the plot.” — IndieWire reviewer

The Wrap

Fast said her next film will focus on a boy, aiming to “branch out” from girl-centered stories while exploring territory. She also hinted at a third “girl horror cult” project to complete a trilogy.

Variety Magazine