All Episodes

July 10, 2025 • 72 mins

🎙️ Episode 9: Building a Horror Film Community – First Cut Productions
In this episode of Backstage at TENCROW Studios, we sit down with Mark Bellinger and Christine Golden of First Cut Productions, the creative force behind the First Cut Horror Film Festival in Wilmington, NC. 🎬

Now entering its second year, the festival has quickly become a cornerstone for indie horror filmmakers—showcasing spine-tingling shorts from around the globe while spotlighting local talent with heart and humor. Mark and Christine talk about the origins of the festival, its explosive growth, their wildly creative award design, and how they’re building a deeply connected horror film community in Eastern North Carolina.

We also explore:

  • The secret sauce behind a successful horror festival 🧛‍♂️

  • What it really takes to host 31 films in a single day

  • Why Wilmington is becoming a magnet for indie filmmakers

  • The challenges of producing passion projects with limited budgets

  • Future goals and how YOU can get involved as a filmmaker or sponsor

🩸 Submissions for this year’s festival are open through August 3rd — don’t miss your chance! You can submit your film on Film Freeway here: https://filmfreeway.com/TheFirstCutFilmFest?pending=true

đź’€ Visit https://www.firstcutproductionsllc.com/ or follow @firstcutproductions on Instagram for more.

#FirstCutFilmFest #IndieHorror #WilmingtonNC #BackstageAtTENCROW #ShotAtTENCROW

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2

Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2

Season Two Out Now! Law & Order: Criminal Justice System tells the real stories behind the landmark cases that have shaped how the most dangerous and influential criminals in America are prosecuted. In its second season, the series tackles the threat of terrorism in the United States. From the rise of extremist political groups in the 60s to domestic lone wolves in the modern day, we explore how organizations like the FBI and Joint Terrorism Take Force have evolved to fight back against a multitude of terrorist threats.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.