Preview Screening Of “The Curse of Moll Dyer” Brings Local Folklore To The Big Screen

CALIFORNIA, Md. — A preview screening of “The Curse of Moll Dyer,” a new independent folk-horror film inspired by a Southern Maryland legend, will be held Friday, Feb. 13, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at TechPort at St. Mary’s County Airport.

The upcoming feature, produced by Thurston Productions LLC, draws on regional folklore and will offer local audiences an early look at the project, with members of the cast and creative team expected to attend the event.

The screening event is being presented in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Commerce, St. Mary’s County Department of Economic Development, St. Mary’s Liquor Assets and Visit St. Mary’s MD.

According to organizers, the evening will include a 15–20-minute exclusive preview of the film, featuring scenes shot locally in Leonardtown, including footage filmed at Social Coffeehouse and Woodlawn. Guests will also have an opportunity to meet the film’s producer, Kathryn O’Sullivan; director, Paul Awad; and lead actor, Jordan Hundley, who portrays the character of Moll Dyer, a figure long associated with local folklore. The film features actors Kathryn Kelley, Ron Bottitta, Evan Casey, Jeff Wincott, Lauren Zimmerman and Count Gore de Vol (Dick Dyszel), as well as cameos from many St. Mary’s County residents.

Filmed In St. Mary’s County, Shaped By Local Enthusiasm

Director Awad said filming “The Curse of Moll Dyer” in St. Mary’s County was shaped by a high level of local enthusiasm and community support, which helped open doors to locations, extras and creative collaboration.

“My experience with St. Mary’s County and Leonardtown was completely different from what you usually expect,” Awad said. “Wherever we went, people wanted to know what we were doing, and once we said we were filming a Moll Dyer story, everyone had a Moll Dyer story of their own.”

Awad said the project grew out of his long-standing interest in regional folklore after first encountering the Moll Dyer legend in a Washington Post feature more than a decade ago, but advances in digital filmmaking technology made it feasible to produce the film on a small budget while still achieving a cinematic, period-authentic look.

In St. Mary’s County, “people donated their locations, volunteered as extras and really leaned into the project,” Awad said. “You don’t really find that kind of enthusiasm anymore, and it made a huge difference for us.”

Rather than adhering strictly to a single historical timeline, Awad said the film blends a contemporary narrative with flashbacks to Moll Dyer’s life, allowing the production to incorporate real local locations while portraying the character in a more sympathetic, atmospheric light. He described the film as less focused on traditional horror and more on mood, place and community memory.

“I don’t think the film is going to be terribly scary. It’s much more atmospheric, and we felt strongly about portraying Moll Dyer in a positive light,” Awad said. “The more we kept going, it felt like the spirit of Moll Dyer was pushing us in a certain direction.”

Awad also said the upcoming preview screening is intentionally interactive, encouraging attendees to wear period clothing — an idea that may extend into the film itself, as the production plans to capture crowd footage following the event for potential use in the final production.

“Once we heard people might come in costume, we got really excited,” Awad said. “We don’t have many crowd shots yet, so after the event, we’re planning to film attendees in period clothing and actually place them in the movie.”

While the film draws inspiration from the legend of Moll Dyer — a story that has become embedded in the cultural identity of St. Mary’s County — organizers emphasize that the movie takes a creative, fictionalized approach rather than presenting a historical account.

A Local Legend Portrayed Onscreen and Off

Lauren Zimmerman, who portrays the ghost of Moll Dyer in the upcoming film, has also embodied the character during past Moll Dyer Day commemorations in Leonardtown. She first appeared in the role during the county’s inaugural Moll Dyer Day event in 2021 at Tudor Hall, where she performed a dramatic reading written by St. Mary’s County Historical Society Executive Director Peter LaPorte. Zimmerman said those early performances shaped both her understanding of the character and the evolving public conversation around how Moll Dyer is portrayed.

“This event was designated by the Leonardtown commissioners in honor of Dyer, a real-life 17th century woman who, [according to legend,] was accused of witchcraft and burned out of her house in the woods by neighbors on the coldest night of the year in February 1698,” Zimmerman said. “Legend has it that her body was discovered several days later frozen to a rock with one hand raised in a curse (or a blessing) and one hand frozen to the rock which still boasts indentations said to be of her palm and fingers.”

In 1972, the rock was removed from the woods just south of Leonardtown and is now displayed at Tudor Hall. The restoration of the artifact display was conducted by the St. Mary’s County Historical Society.

An Immersive Screening Experience

In addition to the preview screening, the event will feature themed activities designed to immerse attendees in the film’s atmosphere, including a Moll Dyer look-alike costume contest, interactive photo opportunities and a “meet Moll Dyer’s ghost” experience described by organizers as a theatrical encounter inspired by the legend.

Food and drink will be provided during the event, with themed offerings including a champagne fountain and specialty items curated for the evening.

The screening is being hosted in partnership with Tobacco Barn Distillery, a Southern Maryland distillery known for its focus on handcrafted, small-batch bourbon and whiskey production. The distillery traces its roots to the region’s early distilling history and operates a tasting room in Hollywood, Maryland, where it produces single-barrel spirits using locally inspired methods.

The project attempts to blend regional folklore with atmospheric storytelling, using Southern Maryland landscapes and historic locations to ground the film’s tone and visuals. The full film release is anticipated in October.

Tickets and additional details about the pre-screening event are available through Tobacco Barn Distillery’s website.

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