The Chattanooga Film Festival (CFF) celebrates its 10th anniversary this summer from June 23 – 29, 2023.
Chattanooga Film Festival
-
-
-
Onur Tukel’s SCENES FROM AN EMPTY CHURCH to Open 2021 Chattanooga Film Festival
Scenes From An Empty Church Onur Tukel’s Scenes from an Empty Church will world premiere as the opening night film of the 2021 Chattanooga Film Festival, set to run again as a fully virtual event from June 24-29th. Jacob Gentry’s SXSW alum, Broadcast Signal Intrusion will close the festival.
-
Chattanooga Film Festival Unveils 2018 Short Films Lineup incl. World Premiere of “42 COUNTS” “HAJJI” and “THE AFTER PARTY”
[caption id="attachment_27962" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
HAJJI[/caption]
Chattanooga Film Festival unveiled the 2018 short film lineup including the World Premiere of three significant short films – 42 COUNTS from filmmaker Jill Gevargizan, HAJJI from from filmmaker R.H. Norman, and THE AFTER PARTY from filmmaker Colin Costello.
Following is the full list of short films, organized by the block they will be presented in.
SHORT ENDS BLOCK
42 COUNTS | Jill Gevargizian *WORLD PREMIERE The latest work of talented director Jill Gevargizian (THE STYLIST) is inspired by a true story. Two unsuspecting victims spend their night off watching scary movies in an apartment rented from their boss—until they uncover something much more sinister than what they’re watching on screen. AMY | L. Gustavo Cooper. Set against the backdrop of the deadliest heatwave in recorded history and inspired by America’s most prolific female serial killer, L. Gustavo Cooper’s Amy provides a surreal and distorted glimpse into a killing spree that captivated a nation in the early 1900s. BABS | Celine Held An estranged son discovers an alarming purchase made by his late father. BESTIA | Gigi Guerrero Bestia follows the lone survivor (Mathias Retamal) of a disaster as he awakens on a deserted beach. It becomes clear that there are more dangers lurking in the woods than a hungry beast. GREAT CHOICE | Robin Comisar A woman gets stuck in a Red Lobster commercial. THE AFTER PARTY | Colin Costello Meet Skye Monroe. Reality Show Star. Social Media Queen. And blissfully unaware of how self-centered she is. Skye drinks what she wants, snorts what she wants and takes who she wants. Skye doesn’t really have friends, but followers, tagging along for every moment of her life thanks to her endless streams of posts. But tonight, Skye will be put on trial for her deeds. Her courtroom is a little dive bar tucked away in the corner of any urban decay, appropriately called, The After Party. Her jury will be four sophisticated women shooting a game of billiards. TRANSMISSION | Varun Raman Welcome to Britannia. Together we stand alone. WE SUMMONED A DEMON | Chris McInroy They just wanted to be cool. Instead they got a demon.SALUTE YOUR SHORTS
A FISTFUL OF PISTOLS | Joseph Heath Two men meet in the wild west for a good old fashioned quick draw shoot ’em up situation. BEANS | Maxwell Nalevansky An idiosyncratic story of an elderly artist who lives and paints alone on a property in the woods. Steve, the painter, decides one day to make a sign that reads “Free Beans,” offering a bowl of steaming hot beans to any drifter who might stumble by. Our Narrator takes the audience through a rhapsodic telling of the day he met the painter who cooked him a life-changing bowl of beans. DAHLIA | Ana Mouyis Through a metaphorical narrative about love, Dahlia explores a relationship between two people which is burdened by mental illness. Journey through a colorful and ever-changing world; a hand-painted realm that shifts and morphs to portray a darkened state of mind. HAJJI | R.H. Norman *WORLD PREMIERE From writer/director R.H. Norman and produced by friend of CFF, David Lawson, Jr. Hajji shows the fateful encounter between two U.S. Marines and an Afghan teenager fuels a wartime cycle of violence in this inspired-by-true-events short starring Ross Marquand (The Walking Dead) and Dayo Okeniyi (Hunger Games). MY DEAD DAD’S PORNO TAPES | Charlie Tyrell In this touching documentary, filmmaker Charlie Tyrell attempts to gain a better understanding of his deceased father through his personal effects—including a stash of VHS pornography tapes—and an exploration of his family history. MY LETHAL WEAPON | Hope Leigh A young blonde must navigate treacherous power dynamics after she’s pulled over by an increasingly “friendly” cop. RALPH AND OLLIE | Thomas Bell Do you ever have trouble relating to other people? No? Yeah, me neither. POISON | Brandt Shandera A Tinder date goes from awkward to frightening when the conversation turns to poison. RETURN FROM DESOLATION | Justin Clifton Garrett Eaton, an Afghan war vet, oilman, and river guide, has fought his way back from addiction and certain death with the help of the wild, serpentine rivers of the American Southwest. This is a story of renewal, forgiveness and healing, but it’s also a bridge between what we think we know and the nuance of what it means to be human in a complex society. Through Garrett’s experience, we see the importance of wild, public landscapes to help us all find our way home. THE SILVER SCREEN | Paul Williams Film buffs Marty and Anna come into conflict when dreamer Marty’s desire to reopen the local movie theater clashes with the reality of the impending birth of their child.WTF (WATCH THESE FILMS)
ALLEN ANDERS | Laura Moss Found footage of Allen Anders’ famed 1987 performance at New York City’s Comedy Castle offers a revealing window into the troubled comedian’s psyche. BFF GIRLS | Brian Lonano Three dorky American girls magically transform into beautiful Japanese superheroes and fight a tampon monster as they begin their journey into womanhood. COME ON MANDY | Josh Wilmott A doc/fiction hybrid about a dog who refuses to listen. HECTOR FELIX | William Bagley A thriller/comedy with a retro vibe, Hector Felix is about a drunk who stumbles upon a group of thugs playing cards in the back of a gas station. Shot on 16mm, and accompanied by a killer soundtrack; Hector Felix is nothing short of a good time. HOMER_A | Milos Mitrovic Found VHS footage tells a disturbing day-in-the-life story of a broken family. SETACEOUS | Tel Benjamin A group of neighbors, after being awoken in the dead of night by its alarm, investigate a seemingly abandoned car in the middle of their cul-de-sac in the inner suburbs. Slowly they begin to realize the car may not be as abandoned as first perceived and holds something far darker in store for them. SOCKS ON FIRE | Bo McGuire A failed poet takes up cinematic arms when he returns home to Hokes Bluff, Ala. to find his aunt has locked his drag queen uncle out of the family home. STAY | David Mikalson A cult of women summon a demon, but one rogue member, Carol, gets in the way of their plans. THE ACCOMPLISS | John F. Beach, Jonathan Hoeg A man discovers his unwitting participation in a bank robbery across a series of increasingly incriminating (and hilarious) answering machine messages. WEIRD | Fausto MontanarI In this animated film, a young girl explains how personal preference and individuality are the ties that bind us all together.THE TENNESSEE FILMMAKER BLOCK
AIM CENTER SHORTS | Judith Mogul and Trey Forbes A compilation of 12 stop-motion animations created by members of the AIM Center under the direction of artist Judith Mogul and videographer Trey Forbes. AIM is a center for psychiatric rehabilitation located in Chattanooga, Tenn. Using cutout paper in the style of filmmaker Lotte Reiniger, members manipulated their created forms to tell intimate, humorous and often poignant stories. These shorts provide moving insight into the minds, hearts and souls of people living with mental illness. BIG AND TALL | Clint Till A young girl and her best friend set off into the woods to find proof of a mythological creature. BLACKOUT DAY | Graham Uhelski Blackout Day is a mini documentary about people’s experiences on the day of the total solar eclipse—August 21, 2017. A filmmaker collaboration of an incredible celestial event. LEGS | Madeleine Hicks Cara Smart dreams of one day becoming a professional swimmer, but her mother and doctor have plans to remove her body parts instead. This is a tale as old as time. THE ELEPHANT TREE | Judith Mogul Combining live action with stop motion animation, The Elephant Tree reveals the intimate relationship between an artist and the landscape around her. Through sketches, sculptures and puppets, a world evolves in the artist’s studio that reflect her reverie and sadness for the environment, which eventually is threatened when a developer begins to clear the land. THE LOTTERY | Karen Louisa What kind of life can you have when your life is assigned for you by your government? One young woman tries to exercise what little freedom she has in order to change her life. THE ORDER | Chad Cunningham Three young scouts have been selected for a prestigious opportunity, but as they struggle to prove themselves, they realize nothing is what it seems.STUDENT FILMMAKER BLOCK
10 MINUTES TO SHOW | Joshua DeFour Punk-rock drummer Charlotte “Charlie” Howe desperately wants to win an Austin battle of the bands competition, but 10 minutes before her band is set to perform, everything seemingly goes to hell backstage. HEAD ABOVE WATER | Eric Shahinian A devoted husband is forced to confront his doubts about remaining the caretaker of his wife suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. POSERS | Sean Thiessen A coming-of-age creature feature that’s also a story of teenage friendship, budding love, and figuring out how to fit in. REDSHIFT | Benjamin Crane After a bio-chemical attack renders earth infertile, mankind is forced to colonize Mars and mine the earth of its remaining resources. Among the miners is David Cain, who has grown tired of earth and longs for a new life. After the company decides to relocate to the red planet, David is given the option to transfer or remain on earth with his family. As tension rises between him and sister as they care for their dying father, David must weigh his commitment to family and his desire for a better life. THE MEMORY BANK | Andrew Faust Karen awakens to discover that her payment has been declined at The Memory Bank, a cloud-based organization that retains and organizes customers’ memories. She’s then forced to delete memories in order to create new ones. THE SECRET LIFE OF ART | Catherine Mosier-Mills What if art came to life at night? Do works of art have personalities ? Do they wish to escape their assigned interpretations and roles? How do these works hold up in a modern context? This digitally-animated piece brings to life well-known works by masters such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Degas and Gauguin and explores what would happen if they could interact with each other during a chaotic night at the museum. TWINKLE TWINKLE | Mark Winzenburg A young woman named Amy discovers a mysterious record in her home. The record plays the tune “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” but Amy begins to fear for her life when it won’t stop, no matter what she does. In addition to the above blocks, three films will be paired with feature films. EMERGENCY | Carey Williams Faced with an emergency situation, a group of young Black and Latino friends carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police. *Paired with LOWLIFE HEARTLESS | Kevin Sluder Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” An overlooked associate struggles to complete a corporate presentation as a horrific secret gnaws at her conscience. *Paired with DEMENTIA PART II MY MONSTER | Izzy Lee Christmas is coming. If that’s not stressful enough, Lily (Brea Grant) has to contend with a clueless partner (Adam Egypt Mortimer) and an unexpected, inter-dimensional holiday guest who just wants two things—blood and cuddles. *Paired with ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING
-
2018 Chattanooga Film Festival Unleashes SECOND WAVE of Films, Closes with “I KILL GIANTS” | Trailers
[caption id="attachment_27529" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
I Kill Giants[/caption]
The 5th annual Chattanooga Film Festival is almost here, and the festival has released the second wave of films, comprising of a generous mix of fantasy, horror, documentary and animated films.
Film highlights include Timothée Chalamet, who has had recent turns in CALL ME BY YOUR NAME and LADY BIRD, stars in HOT SUMMER NIGHTS, a charming coming of age drama set during a summer at Cape Cod. Catch this winning flick at CFF before the good folks at A24 release it later this year.
BORLEY RECTORY is an animated documentary chronicling what came to be known as “the most haunted house in England.” The legends attached to the rectory at Borley and famed paranormal investigator Harry Price’s subsequent investigations of them, caught the public’s imagination during the late 1920s, in time becoming one of the world’s most notorious ghost stories.
ERNEST AND CELESTINE charmed audiences during its 2014 screening at CFF, and festival organizers are bringing the latest family crowd pleaser from the same talented filmmaking duo to Chattanooga. Bring your kids and the young film fans in your life to THE BIG BAD FOX & OTHER TALES, because this is a comedy adventure all ages can enjoy.
Rounding out CFF’s cinematic sojourn into the dark heart of the 1980s, along with this year’s SUMMER OF ’84 and LIFE AFTER FLASH, is THE POWER OF GLOVE. This doc is an absolute hoot and tells the strange, but true tale of the rise and fall of Nintendo’s Power Glove in the 1980s.
Anchored by one of the most amazing performances you’re likely to see this year by Valeria Bertuccelli, who also co-writes and directs, THE QUEEN OF FEAR tells the story of an actress that becomes over anxious in the days leading up to the premiere of her one-woman show. Along with previously announced selection MADELINE’S MADELINE, it makes for a fascinating and entertaining double feature about obsessive actors taking their craft perhaps a bit too seriously.
Director Ryuhei Kitamura’s latest is DOWNRANGE, revolving around a group of friends who after a roadside blowout become the targets of a mysterious sniper. Throw in an appearance by longtime CFF favorite Graham Skipper, also teaching our acting class along with actor/filmmaker Matt Mercer this year, and you’ve got a lightning-paced blast of a thriller.
In the action-packed true story A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN, an English boxer incarcerated in one of Thailand’s most notorious prisons fights in Muay Thai tournaments to earn his freedom. This movie lands like a punch in the gut and in this case, that’s a good thing.
Everyone loves a good food documentary, and RAMEN HEADS straight up classifies as food porn. Osamu Tomita, Japan’s reigning king of ramen, takes us deep into his world, revealing every single step of his obsessive approach to creating the perfect soup and noodles and his relentless search for the highest-quality ingredients. Mixing in a brief rundown of ramen’s historical roots, the film gives viewers an in-depth look at the culture surrounding this unique and beguiling dish.
The National Pyrotechnic Festival in Tultepec, Mexico is the site of festivity unlike any other in the world, and has been captured in a hypnotically beautiful, charming and deeply entertaining documentary called BRIMSTONE & GLORY. In celebration of San Juan de Dios, patron saint of firework makers, conflagrant revelry engulfs the town for ten days. Artisans show off their technical virtuosity, up-and-comers create their own rowdy, lo-fi combustibles, and dozens of teams build larger-than-life papier-mâché bulls to parade into the town square, adorned with fireworks that blow up in all directions. For the people of Tultepec, this explosive celebration, is a combination of unrestrained delight and real peril.
Punk rock horror? Yes please. In Jenn Wexler’s debut THE RANGER, a group of punk rockers piss off a truly psychotic forest ranger. Coupled with a soundtrack loaded with deep punk rock cuts and some truly amazing thrills and chills, this film has put Wexler on CFF’s up and coming filmmakers list. Wexler and producer Heather Buckley will be on hand for a Q&A following the film.
Lola Kirk and Zoe Kravitz star in GEMINI, a mystery thriller by acclaimed director Aaron Katz. This is the kind of film that you go into cold, and let the film and its beguiling leads cast the same spell on you that it did on the CFF team.
Casey T. Malone has chosen CFF for the world premiere of his feature film LESSER BEASTS. This hauntingly beautiful, truly personal dazzler is a cross between Guy Maddin and Terence Malick, with a little dash of good ole David Lynchian experimentation to make the mix all the more compelling. Malone will be attending for a Q&A, along with some of the cast members.
Kane Hodder is a hero. More than just the man behind the mask for iconic film villains from FRIDAY THE 13TH’s Jason Vorhees to Adam Green’s cult classic HATCHET franchise, Hodder’s is a name that genre film fans revere. This incredible biography, TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY, traces his struggle to overcome a dehumanizing childhood and endless bullying, to his rise in becoming one of the true living legends of horror and genre cinema.
When filmmakers Mike Testin and Matt Mercer challenged themselves to make a film from conception to completion in just 31 days they created DEMENTIA PART II. Making its world premiere at CFF, there is so much to love; from insane plot to the inspiring way this film came to life.
To say the films of filmmakers Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani are in a class of their own is an understatement. In LET THE CORPSES TAN they do for the Spaghetti Western what they did for Giallo thrillers with their classic AMER, making a movie as psychedelic as it is unforgettable.
I KILL GIANTS has been selected as the closing night film for this year’s festival, a crowd-pleasing powerhouse fantasy brought to life by the producers of the Harry Potter films. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, I KILL GIANTS tell the story of Barbara Thorson as she struggles through life by escaping into a fantasy life of magic and monsters.
THE SECOND WAVE OF FILMS FOR 2018 CHATTANOOGA FILM FESTIVAL
TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID | Director Issa López
A dark fairy tale about a gang of five children trying to survive the horrific violence of the cartels and the ghosts created every day by the drug war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-kCERB3ss4
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS | Director Elijah Bynum
A boy comes of age during a summer he spends in Cape Cod.
BORLEY RECTORY | Director Ashley Thorpe
BORLEY RECTORY is an animated documentary chronicling what came to be known as “the most haunted house in England.” The legends attached to the rectory at Borley and famed paranormal investigator Harry Price’s subsequent investigations of them caught the public’s imagination during the late 1920s, in time becoming one of the world’s most notorious ghost stories. BORLEY RECTORY examines the legend, the controversial investigations and a ghost story that may well reveal more about what might have been missing from Borley rather than what might have been invading it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwVon3ODMWo
THE BIG BAD FOX AND OTHER TALES | Directors Patrick Imbert, Benjamin Renner
Whoever thinks that the countryside is calm and peaceful is mistaken. In it we find especially agitated animals, a Fox that thinks it’s a chicken, a Rabbit that acts like a stork, and a Duck who wants to replace Father Christmas. If you want to take a vacation, keep driving past this place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3QkSzpNGW8
THE POWER OF GLOVE | Directors Andrew Austin, Adam Ward
A documentary that chronicles the journey of the world’s most notorious video game controller: the Power Glove. For the first time, discover the history and legacy behind the glove that helped inspire a generation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfp2j7Zgo_g
THE QUEEN OF FEAR | Directors Valeria Bertuccelli, Fabiana Tiscornia
An actress becomes over anxious in the days leading up to the premiere of her one-woman show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3tVbHrm7_k
BLEEDING SKULL PRESENTS NINJA ZOMBIE | Director Mark Bessenger
We already know that every sane moviegoer on earth loves occult mayhem, undead martial arts warriors and wizards with spiders tattooed on their faces. But little did we know that all of those things and more comprised a completely unseen feature-length Super-8 masterpiece from Illinois! A murdered karate expert rises from the grave to exact revenge and rescue his girlfriend from black magic maniacs. Despite its food stamp budget, Ninja Zombie is an unrelenting ruckus of supernatural threats and high-kicking vengeance.
SUPER INFRA-MAN | Director Shan Hua
In this Shaw Bros. classic, Princess Dragon Mom and her mutant army have arisen, and only Inframan can stop them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLlecrotn0Q
DOWNRANGE | Director Ryûhei Kitamura
Stranded at the side of the road after a tire blowout, a group of friends become targets for an enigmatic sniper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHLHKmWVDYw
A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN | Director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
The true story of an English boxer incarcerated in one of Thailand’s most notorious prisons as he fights in Muay Thai tournaments to earn his freedom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp88Nuci68c
RAMEN HEADS | Director Koki Shigeno
In ‘Ramen Heads,’ Osamu Tomita, Japan’s reigning king of ramen, takes us deep into his world, revealing every single step of his obsessive approach to creating the perfect soup and noodles, and his relentless search for the highest-quality ingredients. In addition to Tomita’s story, the film also profiles five other notable ramen shops, each with its own philosophy and flavor, which exemplify various aspects the ramen world. Mixing in a brief rundown of ramen’s historical roots, the film gives viewers an in-depth look at the culture surrounding this unique and beguiling dish. This is a documentary record of 15 months in the lives of Japan’s top ramen masters and their legions of devoted fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3E9MGOK4LY
BRIMSTONE & GLORY | Director Viktor Jakovleski
Ecstatic ritual, danger and the absolute beauty of fireworks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQmNtP3TRmI
THE RANGER | Director Jenn Wexler
A group of punk rockers piss off a psychotic forest ranger.
Q&A following with director Jenn Wexler and producer Heather Buckley
GEMINI | Director Aaron Katz
A heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant and her Hollywood starlet boss. As the assistant unravels the mystery, she must confront her own understanding of friendship, truth, and celebrity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISjmjYU-kMI
LESSER BEASTS | Director Casey T. Malone
*WORLD PREMIERE
Four stories. One mystery.
Q&A following with director Casey T. Malone and cast.
https://vimeo.com/213251995
TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY | Director Derek Dennis Herbert
TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY is the harrowing story of a stuntman overcoming a dehumanizing childhood filled with torment and bullying in Sparks, Nevada. After surviving a near-death burn accident, he worked his way up through Hollywood, leading to his ultimate rise as Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th series and making countless moviegoers forever terrified of hockey masks and summer camp. Featuring interviews with cinema legends, including Bruce Campbell (Ash vs. Evil Dead), Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark), To Hell and Back peels off the mask of Kane Hodder, cinema’s most prolific killer, in a gut-wrenching, but inspiring, documentary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10ViGiRfRCo
DEMENTIA PART II | Directors Mike Testin, Matt Mercer
*WORLD PREMIERE
Suzanne wasn’t always this confused. She wasn’t always dead either… When an ex-con takes a job as a handyman for an unstable elderly woman to avoid a parole violation, it becomes a choice he may regret. From the makers of Dementia and Contracted comes the unnecessary midnight-movie sequel you never knew you wanted… made script-to-screen in literally one month!
Q&A following with directors Mike Testin and Matt Mercer
LET THE CORPSES TAN | Director Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
The Mediterranean summer: blue sea, blazing sun….and 250 kg of gold stolen by Rhino and his gang! They had found the perfect hideout: an abandoned and remote hamlet now taken over by a woman artist in search for inspiration. Unfortunately surprise guests and two cops compromise their plan: the heavenly place where wild happenings and orgies used to take place turns into a gruesome battlefield.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONMbWj8u-RA
NOVEMBER | Director Rainer Sarnet
Based on Estonian novel “Rehepapp” by Andrus Kivirähk, a bestseller of the last twenty years, the film is a mixture of magic, black humor and romantic love. The story is set in a pagan Estonian village where werewolves, the plague, and spirits roam. The villagers’ main problem is how to survive the cold, dark winter. And, to that aim, nothing is taboo.
TURBO KID | Directors François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
*FREE SCREENING
In a post-apocalyptic wasteland in 1997, a comic book fan adopts the persona of his favorite hero to save his enthusiastic friend and fight a tyrannical overlord.
François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell in attendance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFlZ6pVtnv0
THE ENDLESS | Directors Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead
*FREE SCREENING
Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group’s beliefs may be more sane than they once thought.
Q&A with producer and cast member David Lawson
I KILL GIANTS | Director Anders Walter
Barbara Thorson struggles through life by escaping into a fantasy life of magic and monsters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ0QKOR5Kgc
-
2018 Chattanooga Film Festival Releases FIRST WAVE of Films – LU OVER THE WALL, GHOST STORIES and More …
[caption id="attachment_27508" align="aligncenter" width="1203"]
LU OVER THE WALL[/caption]
With the 5th annual Chattanooga Film Festival just under one month away, the first wave of films are here. These films join opening night films ROCK STEADY ROW and SUMMER OF ’84, as well as the world premiere of LIFE AFTER FLASH.
Fresh off its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, LU OVER THE WALL is a gorgeously animated hallucinogenic-but-family-friendly take on the classic fairy tale of the little mermaid who falls in love with mankind, and then comes ashore to join a dysfunctional middle school rock band and propel them to fame.
Exploring the pre-fame years of the celebrated American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, BOOM FOR REAL: THE LATE TEENAGE YEARS OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT shows how New York City, its people, and the tectonically shifting arts culture of the late 1970s and ’80s shaped his vision.
In GHOST STORIES, Arch skeptic Professor Phillip Goodman embarks upon a terror-filled quest when he stumbles across a long-lost file containing details of three cases of inexplicable ‘hauntings’.
Every once in a while, you see a film you just know is a classic in the making. LOWLIFE is such a film. Director Ryan Prows has crafted a darkly comic sublimely cinematic and strangely heartwarming crime tale that explodes off the screen like a Molotov cocktail.
From filmmaker Josephine Decker comes MADELINE’S MADELINE, a drama that centers around a family in Queens, New York. In the film, Miranda July plays Regina, single mother to sixteen-year-old Madeline. Madeline finds herself as the youngest member of an experimental-theater company and begins to take her performance too seriously.
For fans of THE EXORCIST, director William Friedkin delivers a chilling documentary with THE DEVIL AND FATHER AMORTH. Having never seen an exorcism, Friedkin wondered how close he came to truly portraying one on screen. Thus, he decided to follow Father Gabriele Amorth, an Italian Roman Catholic Priest and an exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, as he performs his ninth exorcist on an Italian woman.
CFF is extremely proud to bring RBG to Chattanooga screens, a documentary about the life and work of legendary Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West interview friends, family, colleagues and the woman herself, RBG.
In keeping with the theme of strong, powerful women, but this time of the fictional kind, Coralie Fargeat’s REVENGE is the ultimate tale of payback and signals the arrival of a relentlessly bold new voice. From its eye-popping tracking sequences to a score that would make John Carpenter proud, Fargeat fills every inch of every frame with style, and anger.
THE LAST MOVIE STAR finds an aging, former movie star, portrayed by Burt Reynolds, being forced to face the reality that his glory days are behind him. On its surface THE LAST MOVIE STAR is a tale about faded fame, but at its core, it’s a universal story about growing old.
Crazy doesn’t scratch the surface of the things you’ll see and hear when you watch THE ROAD MOVIE. Painstakingly compiled entirely from Russian dashboard cams. This is one wildly entertaining car wreck you won’t want to look away from.
ICEPICK TO THE MOON, which will make its world premiere at the festival, centers on cult following of the obscure, strip-mine crooner Rev. Fred Lane. His obsessive fans, who have described him as “subversive,” “completely satirical,” “the Dada Duke Ellington,” and “Demon Frank Sinatra,” have spent years examining every detail of Lane’s albums, and yet whatever information they have found out about their hero has led them deeper into blissful confusion. ICEPICK TO THE MOON not only examines the cult of Fred Lane fans, but it also pulls the curtain back on the artist who is Fred Lane, from his early involvement in the Raudelunas arts collective of Alabama in the 1970s to his current occupation making whirligigs to sell on the craft show circuit. Following the screening will be a Q&A with director Skizz Cyzyk.
Also making its world premiere is WOLFMAN’S GOT NARDS. This heartfelt documentary explores the power of cult film told through the 1987 classic THE MONSTER SQUAD and the impact it has on fans, cast and crew, and the industry. Director Andre Gower, Ryan Lambert (both stars of The Monster Squad) and producer Henry McComas will be on hand for a post-film Q&A.
ONE SINGS, THE OTHER DOESN’T (L’une chante, l’autre pas) is a feminist musical about the bond of sisterhood felt by Pomme and Suzanne throughout years of changes and fraught relationships with men. At the time of release in 1977, director Agnès Varda said, “If I put myself on the screen—very natural and feminist—maybe I’d get ten people in the audience. Instead, I put two nice young females on the screen, and not too much of my own leftist conscience. By not being too radical but truly feminist, my film has been seen by 350,000 people in France.”
THE LAPLACE’S DEMON finds a team of seven researchers has developed a software capable of predicting the evolution of common physical events. The final test, the prediction of the exact number of fragments caused by the fall of a glass, was a success. Interested by these results, the mysterious Professor Cornelius invites the working team in his isolated mansion on a deserted island, hiding his true intentions. As time passes, the team will lead to paradoxical situations in a growing tension that will not only test their nerves but also one of their certainties: the free will.
WE ARE STILL HERE director Ted Geoghegan is back, but this time with a different kind of story. MOHAWK tracks the events of one very long day late in The War of 1812, during which a young Mohawk woman and her two lovers strike back at a squadron of American soldiers responsible for the death of her people. Although set in 1812, this film with resonate with audiences even more so now than ever.
It doesn’t get more wildly influential than the Shaw Brothers’ KING BOXER. Not only was it the first bonafide Kung Fu film to be a hit in the West (under the title FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH) it very literally helped kick off the Kung Fu craze of the 70’s, ushering in an era where Bruce Lee became a household name. There is simply no overstating the cultural importance or even the coolness of this Shaw Studios treasure.
When an awkward date on Christmas Eve leads a couple into a strange theater, they’re treated to a bizarre and frightening collection of Christmas stories. The terrifying feature film debut of writer/directors Rebekah and David Ian McKendry, ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING is a frightening and fun journey through the perils of Christmas Eve with an incredible cast and a style all its own. Following the world premiere screening, directors Rebekah McKendry and David Ian McKendry, along with producers Morgan Peter Brown and Joe Wicker will stick around for a Q&A.
THE FIRST WAVES OF FILMS FOR 2018 CHATTANOOGA FILM FESTIVAL
LU OVER THE WALL | Director Masaaki Yuasa New kid Kai is talented but adrift, spending his days sulking and isolated in a small fishing village after his family moves from Tokyo. When he demonstrates a proficiency at making music on his synthesizer, his classmates invite him to join their nascent garage band, but their practice sessions soon bring an unexpected guest: Lu, a young mermaid whose fins turn to feet when she hears the beats, and whose singing causes humans to compulsively dance – whether they want to or not. BOOM FOR REAL: THE LATE TEENAGE YEARS OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT | Director Sara Driver Exploring the pre-fame years of the celebrated American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and how New York City, its people, and tectonically shifting arts culture of the late 1970s and ’80s shaped his vision. GHOST STORIES | Directors Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman Arch skeptic Professor Phillip Goodman embarks upon a terror-filled quest when he stumbles across a long-lost file containing details of three cases of inexplicable ‘hauntings’. LOWLIFE | Director Ryan Prows The sordid lives of an addict, an ex-con, and a luchador collide when an organ harvesting caper goes very, very wrong. Q&A with director Ryan Prows MADELINE’S MADELINE | Director Josephine Decker A theater director’s latest project takes on a life of its own when her young star takes her performance too seriously. THE DEVIL & FATHER AMORTH | Director William Friedkin Father Gabriele Amorth performs his ninth exorcism on an Italian woman. RBG | Directors Julie Cohen, Betsy West A look at the life and work of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. REVENGE | Director Coralie Fargeat Never take your mistress on an annual guys’ getaway, especially one devoted to hunting – a violent lesson for three wealthy married men. THE LAST MOVIE STAR | Director Adam Rifkin An aging, former movie star is forced to face the reality that his glory days are behind him. On its surface THE LAST MOVIE STAR is a tale about faded fame, but at its core, it’s a universal story about growing old. THE ROAD MOVIE | Director Dmitrii Kalashnikov A documentary comprised entirely of footage from dashboard cameras from Russian cars. ICEPICK TO THE MOON | Director Skizz Cyzyk *WORLD PREMIERE A feature length documentary about strip-mine crooner, Rev. Fred Lane, and the Raudelunas arts collective of Alabama in the Seventies. Q&A with director Skizz Cyzyk. WOLFMAN’S GOT NARDS | Director Andre Gower *WORLD PREMIERE This heartfelt documentary explores the power of cult film told through the lens of the 1987 classic The Monster Squad and the impact it has on fans, cast and crew, and the industry. Q&A with director Andre Gower, producer Henry McComas and Ryan Lambert ONE SINGS, THE OTHER DOESN’T | Director Agnès Varda ONE SINGS, THE OTHER DOESN’T (L’une chante, l’autre pas) is a feminist musical—with lyrics by the director—about the bond of sisterhood felt by Pomme and Suzanne throughout years of changes and fraught relationships with men. THE LAPLACE’S DEMON | Director Giordano Giulivi A team of seven researchers has developed a software capable of predicting the evolution of common physical events. The final test, the prediction of the exact number of fragments caused by the fall of a glass, was a success. Interested by these results, the mysterious Professor Cornelius invites the working team in his isolated mansion on a deserted island, hiding his true intentions. As time passes, the team will lead to paradoxical situations in a growing tension that will not only test their nerves but also one of their certainties: the free will. MOHAWK | Director Ted Geoghegan Late in the War of 1812, a young Mohawk woman and her two lovers battle a squad of American soldiers hell-bent on revenge. Q&A with director/writer Ted Geoghegan and writer Grady Hendrix KING BOXER AKA FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH | Director Chang-hwa Jeong Two martial arts schools prepare for an important tournament. (1972) ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING| Directors David Ian McKendry, Rebekah McKendry *WORLD PREMIERE When an awkward date on Christmas Eve leads a couple into a strange theater, they’re treated to a bizarre and frightening collection of Christmas stories, featuring a wide ensemble of characters doing their best to avoid the horrors of the holidays. From boring office parties and last-minute shopping, to vengeful stalkers and immortal demons, there’s plenty out there to fear this holiday season. Q&A with directors Rebekah McKendry and David Ian McKendry, producers Morgan Peter Brown and Joe Wicker
-
2018 Chattanooga Film Festival to Open with ROCK STEADY ROW and SUMMER OF ’84 | Trailers
[caption id="attachment_27466" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Caleb Emery, Cory Grüter-Andrew, Judah Lewis and Graham Verchere appear in Summer of ’84 by Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann Whissell[/caption]
ROCK STEADY ROW and SUMMER OF ’84, have been selected as the opening night films of the 2018 Chattanooga Film Festival (CFF) slated for April 5 to 8, 2018. The festival will also screen the world premiere of the highly anticipated documentary LIFE AFTER FLASH.
LIFE AFTER FLASH is an inspiring and moving feature documentary that celebrates what makes that Mike Hodges enduring classic FLASH GORDON so iconic with audiences to this day. This film takes a looks at the real man behind the heroic mask, Sam J. Jones, including his successes, his battles, and his ultimate struggle for redemption. Director Lisa Downs, along with star Sam J. Jones and producer Ashley Pugh, will be in attendance for this once in a lifetime screening.
“The Chattanooga Film Festival has quickly grown over the last four years,” says festival executive director Chris Dortch. “Last year was our biggest, and for our fifth anniversary we weren’t going to settle for anything less than our best, most insane year yet.”
ROCK STEADY ROW | Director Trevor Stevens
Rock Steady Row centers around a young college freshman who, after his bike is stolen, lands on a college campus and is compelled to take action against the reigning fraternities and ultimately the dean.| Q&A with Trevor Stevens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJAEbawJZzg
SUMMER OF ’84 | Directors François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
After suspecting that their police officer neighbor is a serial killer, a group of teenage friends spend their summer spying on him and gathering evidence in, but as they get closer to discovering the truth, things get dangerous. | Q&A with François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B46J7fY4PY
LIFE AFTER FLASH | Director Lisa Downs
*WORLD PREMIERE
LIFE AFTER FLASH explores the life of Sam J Jones since his iconic performance as ‘Flash Gordon’ in the 1980 classic of the same name, and the aftermath of the young stars’ clash with one of Hollywood’s biggest legends, producer Dino De Laurentiis. Q&A with star Sam J. Jones, Lisa Downs, and producer Ashley Pugh
