FIRST CUT FILM FESTIVAL: Promises frights in Wilmington this October
The Wilmington area has a long, storied relationship with the horror genre. From ’80s and ’90s classics like Silver Bullet, The Crow, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, to modern moneymakers that include The Conjuring and 2022’s reboot of the Scream franchise, the region seems to have the perfect blend of settings (and tax benefits, of course) to match the vibe of the spooky and the macabre.
Wilmington’s horror history isn’t just limited to its film creation, either. Literary horror master Stephen King also has a connection with the area. Not only have several of his adaptations been filmed in the area, including Firestarter, Cat’s Eye, and Under the Dome, but Wilmington and its nearby small towns make regular appearances in his written stories, including The Institute, Joyland, Doctor Sleep, and Revival. Needless to say, Wilmington has its own little place in the genre.
That history, combined with his passion for the horror genre, is what convinced Marc Bellinger to create First Cut Productions, a full-service company that focuses on the curation and release of locally-made films, to bring The First Cut Film Festival to Wilmington. For the third year in a row, Bellinger, along with consulting guru Christine Golden, owner of Golden Consulting LLC, will be bringing the independently-made fright films to Jengo’s Playhouse on October 10th.
When asked about why Wilmington was chosen for the horror film festival, the duo was quick to respond about the community: “We ultimately brought it to Wilmington because we noticed there hadn’t been a film festival that was horror-specific in more than 10 years. We both love Halloween and dressing up, just like other people do, and we thought, what is this other thing that Wilmington people need to do to celebrate Halloween?” Bellinger continued, “I’ve worked on everything from Black Phone to Monster Summer, so I’ve fallen into the horror genre, and not really by choice.”
The Black Phone, directed by Doctor Strange’s Scott Derrickson, written by Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill, and starring Ethan Hawke, and Monster Summer, starring Mel Gibson, were both filmed in Wilmington, where Bellinger contributed as a production assistant.
Bellinger stated that the lack of horror film festivals in the area cemented his decision to start planning the festival around the same time he started his production company: “We love Cucalorus, and sometimes they show horror films, but there’s a lot of good horror films out there, and there’s 20,000-40,000 film festivals, but there isn’t a horror film festival within a 200-mile radius of Wilmington. You have to go to Atlanta or OBX, and most of them don’t happen in October.”
Cucalorus is an annual film festival that comes to Wilmington every November and has run for decades; this year will be the 32nd year of the festival, which dabbles in horror, but not exclusively. Past years have included films like Tragedy Girls and a special screening of The Shining, followed by a Q&A with Stanley Kubrick’s daughter, Vivian.
We asked Bellinger and Golden how it felt to now be a running part of Wilmington’s horror movie history, and they responded, “It feels amazing! We think it was meant to be, and we have worked our butts off. We have to keep amping it up every year. We want to grow this to the point where we can be at Thalian Hall for four or five days and get a bigger audience. I want people to come to Wilmington who don’t even have their own films in the festival; they just want to see a really well-constructed horror festival in the month of October... and I think we’ve already become a staple, we’ve sold out every year so far, and I imagine we’re going to sell out this year at Jengo’s as well.”
Horror has always had a wide and diverse style of filmmakers and storytellers, and Bellinger’s inspirations for getting into the genre come from across multiple eras, including A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Wes Craven, Stephen King, Jordan Peele, and Ryan Murphy, the creator of the American Horror Story series.
Golden, who isn’t traditionally a horror fan, has come to love the genre since starting the festival three years ago: “For me, what I love about the festival is the independent filmmakers, getting to talk to them and get into their heads. They’re short films, so they’re very accessible packages where you get the whole idea of it in 15 minutes or less. To me, that’s the draw of the festival, being able to be close to the people getting to make the films.”
Bellinger also connected the festival in theme to Wilmington’s general vibe, bringing up the city’s interest in spirituality and the paranormal. Wilmington is known as one of the most haunted coastal cities in America, with ghostly tales of haunted historic houses and shipwrecked spirits.
Of course, independent films aren’t always necessarily the movies that general audiences get to see on the big screen, but 2026 has been a bit of an anomaly, with Curry Barker’s Obsession making more than $350 million on a $750K budget, and A24’s Backrooms bringing in $270 million on a $10 million budget.
About the importance of independent films, Bellinger said, “There’s just such a need for it. What we’ve seen most recently with Obsession and Curry Barker is that you can make these micro-budget films and make a ton of money because people are interested in great storytelling and a different way of doing an idea. Obsession was such a simple idea, and then you saw what unfolded.”
The First Cut Horror Film Festival has already provided a place for up-and-coming filmmakers who have won various awards for their shorts and productions, including Raleigh’s Vincent Dormani and Collins Abbott White. Hopefuls for this year’s festival include Bo Webb, the cinematographer for Netflix’s Outer Banks, and comedian Brian Huskey.
As Christine Golden oversees the backend responsibilities of the production company, when asked what some of the challenges are to the marketing aspect of the festival, she said, “The very first thing is educating people on what a film festival actually is. I talk to people every day through my operations consulting business, and they don’t know what they are or what the concept is. Of course, getting the word out in a world where there’s information coming at us all the time, and how do you catch someone’s attention on social media, and how to get them interested in a one-day festival. I will say, the people who like us, love us. After the first year of people watching these films, some even became sponsors for us.”
Hopeful that the festival will sell out again this year, Bellinger and Golden want to expand beyond Jengo’s Playhouse next year, with sights set on Thalian Hall’s upcoming “Red Box” or even their main hall. Jengo’s Playhouse has been perfect for the festival’s needs thus far, but growth is on the horizon.
Lastly, the duo was asked to give some expectations of and things to look forward to from this year’s horror film festival on October 10th at Jengo’s Playhouse: “All new films! We’re better prepared for speakers and different moderators for filmmaker Q&As. There’s a bumper challenge where people can send in locally-made intros and get free tickets to the festival and the launch party. There may be some puppeteers and live performances. This is the first year we’re having a public launch party with live music and comedy at Waterline Brewery, the night before the festival on October 9th. One of our sponsors is the No Sleep Podcast, an award-winning horror story podcast, and David Cummings was a moderator for a couple of panels last year, and he’ll be coming back in a meaningful way this year.
Other sponsors include Patriot Roofing and The Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County. Those interested in sponsoring The First Cut Film Festival can contact Marc Bellinger or Christine Golden from First Cut Productions.
Tickets to the First Cuts Film Festival can be purchased through their website (firstcutfilm-fest2026.eventive.org/passes/buy) but are limited to four per purchase.
For horror fans, independent film lovers, or even those who just enjoy Wilmington’s general vibe in the fall, The First Cut Film Festival is a great way to kick off the spooky season on October 10th.
