Winston-Salem Fortnight Production Guide
Winston-Salem video production teams have a golden stretch from October 18 to 31: a Hitchcock icon returns to the big screen, lantern tours bathe brick streets in moody light, and city permits remain refreshingly low-friction.
RiverRun Retro Takes the Spotlight
RiverRun International Film Festival’s year-round arm rolls out a 4K restoration of North by Northwest on Friday, Oct 25, 7:30 p.m. at Marketplace Cinemas. The benefit screening marks Hitchcock’s 125th birthday and supports NC Arts Disaster Relief—meaning local press, film faculty, and influencers will crowd the lobby. For shooters, that’s instant interview fodder and a neon-framed façade right off Peters Creek Parkway.
Upcoming Shoot-Friendly Events
- Oct 24-25 & 30-31 – Old Salem Night Watchmen Tours (lantern-lit exteriors)
- Oct 25 – Spooky Movie Night on the lawn at East of Texas
- Oct 26 – Organ Spooktacular concert inside Reynolda House
- Oct 25 – North by Northwest 4K RiverRun Retro screening
Halloween Sets on a Budget
East of Texas transforms its picnic lawn into an audience-picked horror cinema on Oct 25, complete with food-truck glow and string lights—free entry, BYO-chair. Earlier that evening, Old Salem guides lead 60-minute “Night Watchmen” walks through 18th-century streets, each stop staged by costumed interpreters under candle-flame. Need interior chills? Reynolda House pipes Bach’s Toccata through a century-old Aeolian-Skinner organ while visitors roam the Vanderbilt-era mansion. No set-dressing budget can match that authenticity.
Permits & Logistics
- Private property: no city permit unless special effects are used
- Public property: free location agreement; pay only for city services (police, barricades)
- Application window: Piedmont Film asks for five business days; rush cases handled individually
- Old Salem photography: $50 commercial permit for museum grounds
Building the Crew Pipeline
UNCSA’s student-run Film Fair on Oct 16 seeded the talent pool for third-year thesis shoots, and project boards remain posted in the ACE Theatre lobby all month. Meanwhile, RiverRun’s Retro night will include a lobby table from the Piedmont Triad Film Commission, matching freelancers with incoming indie shoots
Incentive Overview
North Carolina’s 25 % rebate remains active for productions spending $3 million (features) or $1 million (TV) in-state. Winston-Salem sweetens the pot with free permitting and low municipal fees, making it cost-competitive with Georgia when paired with the state incentive.
Closing Frame
With Hitchcock on the big screen, ghost-lit tours winding through Moravian streets, and a permit office that answers faster than pumpkin spice sells out, this city offers Winston-Salem camera crews an open canvas. File your location agreement, sync your lanterns, and roll—this is the City of Arts & Innovation at its most cinematic.
