Filmmaker and podcaster Julia Marchese will bring her celebration of Stephen King, cult horror and independent cinema to three cities this autumn, with appearances at Kingcon in Atlantic City, the Halloween Hullabaloo in Somerville, Massachusetts, and the Mayfair Theatre in Ottawa. The multi-city tour underscores the growing demand for in-person genre events and the persistent cultural pull of Stephen King's work, physical media and the shared moviegoing experience.
From October 22 to 24, Marchese will attend the second annual Kingcon, a celebration of the work and legacy of Stephen King. Her Dollar Baby film, I Know What You Need, will screen during the convention. Kingcon will also feature a limited edition of Keys to the Kingdom, a short story anthology featuring work from Dollar Baby filmmakers inspired by Stephen King. Marchese's story, The Lime Acid Lovers, marks her first published short story. The inclusion of her film and writing at Kingcon signals the continued vitality of the Dollar Baby program, which allows emerging filmmakers to adapt King's short stories for a nominal fee, and it highlights how King's influence extends across generations and mediums.
Marchese then heads to Massachusetts to program the sixth annual Halloween Hullabaloo at the historic Somerville Theatre, running October 27 to 30. This year's lineup includes a special appearance by Victoria Price to celebrate the legacy of her father, iconic actor Vincent Price. The series pairs classics and cult favorites: Night of the Living Dead with Hausu on 10/27, Killer Klowns from Outer Space with Phantasm on 10/28, Cujo with Pet Sematary on 10/29, and House on Haunted Hill with Dragonwyck, with Victoria Price, on 10/30. The event's mix of horror staples and lesser-known gems reflects a curatorial approach that rewards both casual fans and devoted genre enthusiasts, and the Victoria Price appearance adds a layer of historical tribute to one of horror's most recognizable figures.
On November 2 and 4, Marchese will travel to Ottawa with her long-running podcast Horror Movie Survival Guide to celebrate the show's 500th episode at the Mayfair Theatre. The celebration will feature two screenings: Carrie on 11/2, celebrating the film's 50th anniversary, and Out of Print on 11/4, Marchese's feature documentary about revival cinema and the experience of watching films communally in independent theaters, preceded by her second film. Reaching 500 episodes is a significant milestone for an independent podcast, and the pairing of Carrie's anniversary with a documentary about revival cinema makes explicit the throughline in Marchese's work: the value of gathering in a darkened room to watch movies together.
Marchese is known for directing the feature documentary Out of Print and adapting Stephen King's short story I Know What You Need into a short film. She co-hosts the podcasts Horror Movie Survival Guide, The Loser's Club and JodoWOWsky. Her work frequently explores nostalgia, genre cinema, physical media culture and the communal power of moviegoing. For independent theaters and genre festivals, Marchese's autumn slate demonstrates how niche programming, podcasting and filmmaker appearances can draw audiences and sustain community around shared cinematic passions.
