The Chattanooga Film Festival is one of the best film festivals going, and this year the event is celebrating its 10th anniversary. As you might expect, the fest’s programmers and organizers have pulled out all the stops this time around, lining up a gigantic number of fresh film screenings, specialty events, and more for those who make the pilgrimage to Chattanooga this year.
The CFF recently announced its final wave of programming, and hoo, boy, is there a lot to cover here. Let’s go to the press release, which contains everything you need to know:
“The Chattanooga Film Festival (CFF) is proud to announce its final wave for its 10th Anniversary event with a wave that boasts more feature film premieres alongside a LVCRFT laced slew of parties, pitch competitions, workshops, watch parties and more.
Closing out the CFF After Hours block is the world premiere of filmmaker Andrew Adams’ brilliant, tense, and timely millennial coming-of-rage story AMERICAN MELTDOWN. After the virtual screening, the audience will be able to tune in to a special chat with Adams and the rest of the team behind the film with filmmaker Aaron Moorhead.
CFF 2023 will be the North American Premiere of director Tristan Barr’s cerebral Canadian sci-fi horror SUBJECT. Barr’s film also signifies the third in a trilogy of terror-ific special screenings presented by Cinedigm and Screambox.”
But, wait! There’s (a lot) more!
“The festival’s 2023 collaboration with Dark Star Pictures adds a pair of killer films, crying out for the eyeballs of CFF’s longtime fans to love them. Expanding this year’s already exciting Dark Star Presents showcase are filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay’s awesome LGBTQ+ slasher BAD GIRL BOOGEY and filmmakers Jon Garcia and Lacy Todd’s too wild for words SUMMONING THE SPIRIT.
CFF alumni filmmaker Onur Tukel is helping the festival round out its in-person offerings with a special screening of POUNDCAKE, his wild horror satire about a serial killer stalking the streets of New York for straight white men. As he’s known to, Tukel blends genres, and the result is a film that deftly (and hilariously) weaves the slasher sub-genre with political discourse.
The haunted vibes continue in the yoga-horror frightfest MIND BODY SPIRIT. This debut feature from filmmakers Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda is a dread-soaked, back-bending, occult-dipped ghost story. It’s presented by Art Brut Films and produced by Dan Asma and Jesse McClung.
Ready to be discovered by the CFF audience is Anthony Edward Curry’s TRAP, a film with all the raw power of early Safdie/Korine joints that marks Curry as a ferocious new voice capable of capturing poignant portraits about “the lowest depths of street life.”
CFF is also excited to collaborate with Dark Sky Films, who will be presenting one of the most gorgeous and mysterious mind-benders of the year – filmmaker Andrew Legge’s LOLA. From its black and white cinematography to its Twilight Zone-worthy tale of two scientists that build a machine that can intercept radio and tv broadcasts from the future, this film is ready-made for genre fans to fall in love with.”
What’s that? Still not enough? OK, let’s keep going…
“Virtual badge holders will be treated to a special screening of Gavin Fields’ powerhouse drama BRUTAL SEASON. With masterful cinematography and lighting, Fields turns a simple set into a multifaceted location that is as dynamic as the issues that surround the Trouth family in 1948 Brooklyn. Another special screening for those partaking in the festival virtually is Zach Passero’s ass-kicking animated horror tale THE WEIRD KIDZ. Fans of previous CFF selection ATTACK OF THE DEMONS should make it a point to include this film on their watchlist.
Fans of the ultra-specific and quickly growing horror sub-genre of football slashers (shout out to last year’s THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER franchise) will love the blast that is THE ONCE AND FUTURE SMASH from filmmakers Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein. Virtual attendees will also be treated to a very special screening of filmmaker August Kane’s infamous lost classic END ZONE 2.
CFF is also proud to announce that after looking for true scream warriors to take the music and madness of the 10th year to unholy new highs, LVCRFT is joining in on the fun. With a scream-worthy discography featuring collaborations with pop and horror luminaries Hellraiser composer Christopher Young and Bruce Campbell, LVCRFT perfectly captures the horror and Halloween obsessed essence of CFF. From the world premiere of their new film TELL ALICE I LOVE HER in the Dangerous Visions short film showcase LVCRFT’s fearless leader DeepKutz (Amanda “MNDR” Warner, the Electro-Pop pioneer who brought the world Mark Ronson’s hit “Bang Bang Bang”) will be DJing the festival’s previously announced Black Magic Masquerade opening night party. Festival organizers have also heard a rumor that Skeleton Sam himself, the titular creep from LVCRFT’s mega-viral Halloween hit song of the same name from the HOCUS POCUS 2 soundtrack will be on hand to party with fest fans. DeepKutz will also be presiding over Children of the Night: A Horror and Music Panel with TELL ALICE I LOVE HER filmmaker Jamie Carreiro along with a ghoulish gallery of hand-chosen filmmakers and musicians.”
Have you bought a badge yet?
“With TELL ALICE I LOVE HER leading the festival’s well-known Dangerous Visions shorts block, there are 13 additional shorts to dig into. The 2023 edition of this showcase includes the return of festival alumni Izzy Lee, Francisco Lacerda, and Meg Swertlow, along with some killer new voices like Marc Bernardin, Rebecca Sonia Berrih, and more.
Another stronghold of the festival returning is CFF Salutes Your Shorts showcase, which gives the festival a chance to spotlight talented student filmmakers and up-and-coming creatives from around the Southeast. This year’s block features the work of 15 filmmakers, from stop-motion projects to horror (including a Stephen King adaptation!) to short-form documentaries. CFF Salutes Your Shorts makes a strong case for the future of film being in great hands.
CFF’s popular SCREENPLAY PITCH COMPETITION, presented by Rustic Films’ producer David Lawson Jr. (SOMETHING IN THE DIRT, THE ENDLESS) and featuring special guest judges Gil Adler and A L Katz. Festival attendees who’d like to submit a brief synopsis of their script or film project can do so by emailing scripts@chattfilmfest.org by Thursday June 15..
In the early years of CFF, the good folks at Seed & Spark were among the first organizations to believe in the festival’s mission, and offered filmmaking workshops for festival attendees. For the 10th anniversary we’re happy to have them back with some insightful information around one of filmmaking’s biggest hurdles – the budget, with STRETCH THAT BUCK: FILM BUDGETING 101 led by Meghan Ross.
Multi-time festival alumni filmmaker and comedian Joel Ruiz is back this year with a haunted and hilarious episode of his live tabletop roleplaying show ODDITY ROADSHOW.”
Alright, almost there!
“The festival is taking time to salute Johnny Disco, “The Invisible Man” and Hollywood’s most famous extra. Disco has done and seen it all, from going cross-eyed in Steve Martin’s iconic film THE JERK to arresting Kramer on an episode of “Seinfeld.” Virtual attendees will be able to join CFF in an exclusive chat with Disco to hear the amazing stories behind some of his favorite appearances in film and television ahead of the new documentary film being made about his incredible career.
In addition to the LVCRFT DJ set, we’re proud to have DJ Nomi and Pretty H8 Machine joining us for some gothed-up magic at the Black Magic Masquerade, along with exclusive live sets from hellacious horror punks Silent Horror, who’s loving odes to horror cover everything from the CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON to the HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL. One final addition to the bill for the now jam-packed Masquerade lineup is Red Gene. Made up of CFF alums, Erica Scoggins (THE BOOGEYWOMAN) and Brian Hennen, Red Gene’s endlessly eerie and darkly delicious ephema-rock is sure to put a spell on attendees.
Although the virtual side of the festival is raging on after the in-person dates close, CFF has partnered with their pals at the Classic Arcade Pinball Museum for a special closing night party for in-person guests and attendees. Grab a pint and make sure to put PINPALZ: PARTYING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW on your CFF itinerary so that an evening filled with endless vintage pinball can take the sting out of the bittersweet goodbyes.
As a special bonus for 2023 attendees who can pick up their badges or tickets ahead of the festival, CFF will be hanging out with the badass brewmasters known as Hutton & Smith, with CFF BFF Andre Gower for Monster Squad Pint Night. MONSTER SQUAD will screen, special door prizes will be given out, and of course, pints will be slammed!
Both Hybrid and Virtual badges are available now at chattfilmfest.org. Individual tickets will become available closer to the festival. In-person screenings and events are taking place June 23 – 25 at The Read House located in downtown Chattanooga, plus additional party locations around the city with the virtual component of the festival taking place June 23 – 29.”
Phew! These folks are not messing around! As it says above, this year’s Chattanooga Film Festival kicks off on June 23rd – which, you’ll note, is just over three weeks from the time of this writing – and will be brought in for a landing on June 29th. How are they gonna pack all this stuff into a week? We’re not sure, but we can’t wait to find out.
Head on over to the CFF’s official site to learn more, pick up a badge, and check out the truly insane amount of programming they’ve got lined up for this year’s big event!
