Much like Shirley Jackson before her Jamie Alvey delights in what she fears. Alvey’s start in the world of horror began much like many others; she loved scary stories as a child. With a horror fan mother and a cinephile father, she was raised on a steady diet of varied media and grew to be a voracious reader, neophyte writer, and beginner actress. Alvey’s child and teen years were insular due to intense bullying, and she further retreated into her books and her own short stories, which by her own admissions were poor Twilight rip offs. As the years wore on, her stories became more unique as she found her voice as a creative and started to blossom in her own right. She went on to attend Brescia University and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English and theatre. After obtaining her BA she successfully gained her MA in English literature from Mercy College and subsequently began teaching at Brescia University as an English and writing professor. Alvey finished the first draft of her feature screenplay Bystanders in 2017. Bystanders would become the greatest love of Alvey’s life and one of her most enduring and rewarding relationships with her work. Bystanders was greatly influenced by Alvey’s own experiences with PTSD and her rage concerning rape culture and toxic masculinity. Working diligently for years and continually improving the screenplay, Alvey’s dream of seeing her work come to life came true in 2023. Bystanders commenced filming in July 2023 with Alvey herself starring as Clare. Before and during production, Alvey took on many roles to aid the film including uncredited directing and artistic choices in order to see it come to bold fruition. All of the talents and skills she cultivated over the years were on full display as she gave her total commitment to the art and the work she loves most. Post filming Bystanders, Alvey found herself battling depression and isolation, which led her to revisit a story idea she had in the spring while prepping for shooting. That idea turned into a proof of concept short titled “Your Husband Was a Good Man.” The short explores grief, depression, trauma, and death. After the screenplay found success on the film festival and competition circuit, Alvey debated filming it herself and taking on the roles of director and executive producer. This led Alvey to take the plunge and form her own production company, Love and Horror Productions and offer internship opportunities to college students wanting to learn screenwriting and filmmaking. Alvey, with the help of her students, friends, family, and a fantastic crew, shot “Your Husband Was a Good Man” in March of 2024. The short stars Deaton Gabbard as the titular husband opposite Alvey as Orla. Currently, Alvey is working toward attaining an MFA from Lindenwood University in creative writing with an emphasis in fiction. She plans on getting her doctorate…someday, likely in gothic studies. In addition to teaching and being taught, Alvey is constantly working on her writing and has recently debuted a short screenplay titled “Trad” and a feature length screenplay titled Housewife. In the meantime, she is developing a feature version of Your Husband Was a Good Man as well as other assorted terrors.
