Appalachian Supernatural Thriller 'From Yonder Wood' Begins Casting for LA Shoot Under SAG-AFTRA Micro Budget Agreement

An atmospheric Appalachian horror-thriller is taking shape in Los Angeles, and crew and talent looking to get ahead of a late 2026 production should take note now. "From Yonder Wood," a feature film from production company First Child, is currently in casting and pre-production with principal photography scheduled to begin November 2, 2026. The project shoots on a tight ten-day schedule under a SAG-AFTRA Micro Budget Agreement, making it a compact but creatively ambitious production with a clearly defined framework for union talent.

The film is directed by Salvatore Sclafani, who also serves as a producer alongside David Wolfgang. The screenplay comes from writer Michael Boff. The logline is genuinely striking: two Appalachian brothers kidnap a senator's deaf daughter in a desperate bid to protect their ancestral land, retreat to a remote cabin, and in doing so awaken something ancient lurking in the surrounding woods. It is the kind of high-concept genre premise that blends regional Southern Gothic atmosphere with supernatural horror, and the story's central deaf character signals that the production will likely be seeking talent and potentially crew with relevant experience or sensitivity to Deaf culture. Casting director Paola Piccioli is attached, which is the key contact point right now for actors and agents pursuing this project.

First Child is the producing banner behind the film. As a smaller independent company working within the SAG-AFTRA Micro Budget Agreement, this is firmly in the micro-budget indie tier, which sets clear expectations for crew regarding scale, rate structures, and the kind of lean, collaborative set environment that comes with compressed schedules and tighter resources. Productions operating under SAG-AFTRA's Micro Budget Agreement (generally applicable to projects budgeted at or below $250,000) follow specific pay structures negotiated with the guild, so union performers and their representatives will want to confirm the specific agreement terms directly with the production. For crew, this is the kind of project where versatility and a genuine passion for the material matter as much as department size.

Despite the Appalachian setting embedded in its story, "From Yonder Wood" is set to film entirely in Los Angeles, California. That is a notable and practical choice: LA offers an enormous local crew base, established relationships with stage and location facilities, and easy access to the kind of wooded or rural-feeling locations that can convincingly stand in for remote mountain terrain with the right scouting. The ten-day production window starting November 2, 2026, puts shooting squarely in early autumn in Southern California, which generally means mild temperatures and manageable daylight hours. For local LA-based crew, this is an opportunity that does not require travel or relocation. Given the micro-budget scale, expect the production to lean heavily on local hiring at all levels.

The genre signals are worth unpacking for crew assessing fit. A supernatural thriller set in remote woodland terrain, even when recreated on LA locations, will likely require a locations department with strong instincts for finding and dressing wilderness-adjacent spaces. The story's horror elements and period-adjacent Appalachian setting suggest opportunities for a production designer and art department team with a strong sense of texture and atmosphere, even within tight budget constraints. A ten-day shoot also means an experienced first assistant director will be essential to keeping the schedule moving. Given the subject matter and the inclusion of a central deaf character, the casting process may also extend to Deaf community outreach, which agents and talent managers representing Deaf or hard-of-hearing performers should be aware of now.

With production still roughly a year out, the hiring pipeline is in its earliest stages, and that is actually the right moment to make contact. Casting director Paola Piccioli is the active point of entry for talent and representation. Crew looking to connect with the production team should monitor the full listing on ProductionList.com, where production office contact information, updated crew lists, and scheduling details will be added as pre-production advances. Bookmark this one, check back regularly, and if your department head credits align with a lean, atmospheric genre feature, this is exactly the kind of early-stage project where reaching out ahead of the curve makes all the difference.

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