Jacksonville film company hosts double-feature fundraiser at Illinois Theater

The Illinois Theater filled Sunday afternoon for the Rotting World Double Feature, a $5 fundraiser that paired two horror classics with a push to keep Holler moving toward production. The event ran from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 204 North Mauvaisterre Street in downtown Jacksonville, with a meet-and-greet at 4 p.m. and movies starting at 4:45 p.m.

The lineup brought in The Last Man on Earth and Night of the Living Dead, but the main draw for many in the room was the local film project behind the fundraiser. Holler is being made by Subterranean Sound and Vision, with Devin Smock and Samuel Watkins behind the project. The event also included Holler cast and crew, merchandise and a silent auction, turning the screening into both a community gathering and a direct show of support for the film.

Smock has described Holler as a $15,000 post-apocalyptic horror western, made with a RED Komodo camera and real locations. Casting materials called it a gritty, character-driven post-apocalyptic horror drama set in rural Illinois, and production notices listed shooting dates from May 30 through June 16 in and around Jacksonville. A podcast interview with Smock and Watkins said the movie would be shot across Central and West-Central Illinois during that same window.

For Jacksonville, the fundraiser carried meaning beyond a single night at the theater. Independent film crews rarely have the cushion of studio financing, especially in smaller markets, and Holler has already leaned on community backing through earlier fundraising and teaser promotion. Sunday’s turnout showed that local arts supporters were willing to help shoulder the cost of a project rooted in the area, one that depends on finishing funds as well as the work of a small production team.

The setting mattered, too. The Illinois Theater is one of downtown Jacksonville’s most recognizable gathering places, and placing the fundraiser there kept the event in the center of the city’s cultural life. For a local audience, the benefit was not just a chance to watch a double feature for a low admission price. It was a visible reminder that Jacksonville filmmakers are trying to build something here, with hometown support helping determine whether Holler gets from concept to completion.