The great Chattanooga Film Festival is gearing up for its (un)lucky 13th edition set to kick off this summer, with today bringing a gargantuan third wave of movies to what was already an incredibly eclectic lineup.
Joining the goodies in CFF's previously announced first and second wave is a smorgasbord of screenings, events and special guests including Michael Dougherty (Trick ‘r Treat), Mark Pellington (Sonic Cinema), Barry Bostwick (Megaforce), and C. Robert Cargill (Sinister, The Black Phone).
Movie-wise, CFF's third wave highlights include Night After Night, the sophomore feature from I Trapped the Devil director Josh Lobo, the World Premiere of the incredibly-titled The King of Black Goo from Andrew Zappin, James Branson's atmospheric post-apocalyptic tale Bunny, an exclusive sneak peek of Graham Skipper's Organonym, a new restoration of Season's Greetings, Pierre Tsigaridis' Frankie, Maniac Woman, the original short that introduced the world to Sam of Trick ‘r Treat fame, cult classic Megaforce and the must-see celebratory documentary Megaforce: Making Megaforce, and so much more.
Ever committed to ensuring audience accessibility, Chattanooga Film Festival is once again offering a full schedule of virtual screenings and events, including introductions and guest programming from longtime friend of the fest Zach Hall, and yours truly (Fango's Amber T), who filmed something very special for the festival's nightly secret screening series, Redeye.
On the shorter side of things, this year, CFF has assembled the largest offering of short films in its 13-year history with more than 130 films from more than 40 countries represented, and works from Chattanooga Film Festival Alums like Chris McInroy (Chair), Matt Eslinger (Cotton Candy Randy), Ashley Wong (Forever Home), Aqua Teen Hunger Force creator, writer, actor Dave Willis (Silverbacks), Chloë Levine (Bloom) , Bill Watterson (Midnight City), Alexandra Basson (Redneck) and many more.
This year’s Chattanooga Film Festival runs from June 18 to 27. You can check out the full lineup below, and head to the festival’s website for more information and to purchase tickets.
AMERICAN THEATER (d. Nicholas Clark & Dylan Frederick)
Presented by Antenna Releasing
A “canceled” theater director summons a troupe of conservative actors to an abandoned cabin in rural Georgia to plot revenge on the Atlanta theater community with a musical retelling of the 1692 Salem witch trials.ASSETS & LIABILITIES (d. Zach Weintraub)
Zach is a burnt-out suburban father haunted by the impending arrival of middle age. When his family heads out of town for the weekend, he seizes the opportunity to live out a day as his younger, less responsible self. A spontaneous encounter with a fellow skater feels like a victory until an unsettling connection between the two emerges. The result is a forcible confrontation with his own bourgeois standing that shatters the illusion of Zach’s carefree day and sends it spiraling into dark territory.BLOOD & GUTS (d. Carlye Rubin & Katie Green)
The lines between real life and reel life are muddied in the story of the Adams, an unconventional family who makes independent horror films. While they may vomit blood onto one another, lack boundaries and make frequent use of the f-word, they also face what every family must: change.BUNNY (d. James Branson)
U.S. Premiere
In the aftermath of a climate collapse, a young woman roams the ruins of a world she never got to grow up in.Raised on old books and b-movies, she lives alone in the shack she once shared with her father.Supplies are scarce and food is running out. There’s nothing left to hunt… …nothing except other people.DEAD MEDIA (d. Joseph Scrimshaw)
A troubled young woman wants to relax by streaming an old horror movie. Her lonely Gen X uncle demands they watch it on DVD. But the disc is haunted, plunging them into a movie night that won’t die.DEMONETIZE (d. Alexander Watson)
Out-of-work television ghost hunters discover the key to getting their jobs back – and proving ghosts are real – is by working with the last group of people anyone would expect: Social Media Stars.FRANKIE, MANIAC WOMAN (d. Pierre Tsigaridis)
After years of wanting to look like those who grace the covers of magazines, Frances Ramirez ends up making headlines in a different way. She is soon to be known as the Maniac Woman.GLORIOUS SUMMER (d. Helena Ganjalyan, Bartosz Szpak)
In a serene, sun-drenched world, three young girls spend their days in carefree play, mindfulness exercises, and idle contentment. Their every need is meticulously cared for by an all-encompassing, nurturing system that keeps their lives perfectly stable and predictable. For years, they've lived in this blissful, responsibility-free bubble, where summer never ends. But cracks soon begin to appear in this idyllic picture.LENORE (d. David Ward)
In the squalid basement of a suburban home, unemployed filmmaker Max Wren (Nicholas Jaquinot) spends his days and nights hunting for footage of the controversial online performance artist Lenore (Ruby Duncan)—piecing together a distorted tribute to her in the wake of her sudden disappearance. But before he can complete his magnum opus, Max must face a domineering antagoniser from his past, two nosy police officers tipped off about his antisocial behaviour, and most concerning of all: a violent and vengeful spirit that seems to live within his grotesque editing Suite.MAKING MEGAFORCE (d. Bob Lindenmayer)
The original Megaforce (1982), is widely regarded as one of the worst movies of the Eighties and filmmaker Bob Lindenmayer made a documentary about how awesome it is. Starring Barry Bostwick (Rocky Horror Picture Show), 1982's Megaforce is packed with futuristic vehicles, spandex jumpsuits, insane stunts, and corny dialogue. It’s an adolescent adventure that time has forgotten. But one man remembers: director Bob Lindenmayer, and he’s on a quest to convince the rest of the world just how amazing this under-appreciated stunt-filled spectacle is. The world’s biggest Megaforce fan, Bob owns a fleet of fully operational dune buggies and motorcycles from the film. At first, Bob’s mission is pretty straightforward – chronicle the making of this box-office flop through cast and crew interviews. But when he meets his hero, Barry Bostwick, the film takes a left turn and becomes something more than a documentary – it becomes a hilarious and touching tribute to the power of fandom, friendship, and flying motorcycles.MEGAFORCE (d. Hal Needham)
Whenever freedom is threatened only the rapid deployment defense unit MEGAFORCE (with a little help from their flying motorcycles) can save the day. On its release in 1982 stuntman turned filmmaker Hal Needham’s MEGAFORCE died an unceremonious death and has since carried with it a reputation as one of the worst films of its era. At CFF we think it’s high time MEGAFORCE had a reappraisal. It’s fun, it’s got martial arts and we know we already mentioned flying motorcycles but c’monnnn! If that doesn’t stir your nethers we’re afraid you might be at the wrong film festival. For the rest of you be sure to catch this as a double feature with Bob Lindenmayer’s doc MAKING MEGAFORCE and make sure to check out our extended discussion with Bob and Megaforce star Barry Bostwick moderated by C. Robert Cargill.NARCISA’S WILL (d. Clarissa Appelt, Daniel Dias)
Haunted by the memories of her recently deceased mother, the once known Brazilian star Narcisa, Ana wants to sell her childhood home and split the money with her younger brother, Diego. But when her mother’s ghost starts giving signs of her presence in the dressing room, it becomes clear that Narcisa’s will is still stronger than her own, even after death.PITFALL (d. James Kondelik)
After a young man gets separated from his friends in the woods, he falls in to a 10 foot deep pit of spikes, impaling him through his leg and leaving him trapped. He quickly learns that his fall was not an accident but the beginning of a deadly hunt.ON GALLOWS HILL (d. Ed Shimborske)
After college screw-up Matt Bishop is bitten by a vampire, he discovers he can only survive on one thing: his own rare blood type. As his thirst grows, Matt descends into a coven underworld, rekindles an old flame, and uncovers the dark secrets of the blood business- forcing him to confront his own morality (and mortality) to stay alive.JUMP SCARE (d. Donnie Hobbie)
The female metal band ‘JUMP SCARE’ retreat to a remote cabin to write their next album only to be terrorized by the family of cannibals next door.NIGHT AFTER NIGHT (d. Josh Lobo)
World Premiere
The lives of two overnight security guards at a private university begin to unravel after the discovery of a mysterious individual who returns on a nightly basis.NOCLIP 3: THE CHATTANOOGA SYNDROME (d. Alex Conn & Gavin Charles)
Special Screening/World Premiere
In their self described “meta-found-footage / documentary escapade”, Gavin and Alex head to Tennessee to document the premiere of their previous film, and to follow a tip that will lead them to the most liminal spaces in Chattanooga<…SENDER (d. Russell Goldman)
After receiving a series of unnervingly personal packages she never ordered, a woman, newly sober and starting over, spirals into paranoia, convinced someone is watching her. As the online retailer denies responsibility, her search for the anonymous sender sends her down a dangerous rabbit hole, forcing her to confront her past and the fragile reality she’s trying to rebuild. A tense psychological descent into surveillance, recovery, and self-doubt.SUNSHINE GIRLS (d. Madeleine Hicks)
This is the story of Elaine Hamilton, a timid woman nearing her 30th birthday who must make the difficult choice between motherhood and medically induced photosynthesis. In a world that is quite literally suffocating, society has become dependent on the oxygen-producing Sunshine Girls to sustain life. Within the confines of this organization (part new-age adult summer camp, part dystopian prison) Elaine learns that falling in love can take your breath away.THE KING OF BLACK GOO (d. Andrew Zappin)
World Premiere
A genre-bending fairy tale about a bitter, lonely man who undergoes a personality-altering medical procedure in hopes that it will make them worthy of love.THE MID-NIGHT DRIVER (d. Alex Cherney)
When a young girl summons a driver using a seemingly innocent ritual, she must fulfill his demands if she ever wants to get back home in 1992 Long IslandTHE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES (d. Mark Pellington)
A reporter investigates strange phenomena in a small town in Mark Pellington’s classic of cryptid cinema.THE OBSESSED (d. Wataru Takahashi)
Inspired by Shinji Ishii’s short story, this whimsical musical follows Giuseppe, a man powered by fleeting obsessions. One day, he’s singing arias, and the next, he’s collecting insects or mastering embroidery with feverish focus. Every new fascination feels like everything—until the next one comes along.THE THING IN THE FOG (d. Chedey Reyes)
A veteran airplane pilot and his atypical co-pilot in training will find themselves involved in a series of unprecedented interdimensional events, which will turn them into the only hope to save all humanity from the imminent invasion of the Audryes.THIS IS BUZZ (d. Mark Pellington)
Follows the radical impact and lasting relevance of Buzz, an influential MTV series from the 1990s that featured notable contributors including William S. Burroughs and RuPaul as hosts.2026 SHORT FILM PROGRAM
HYBRID SHORT FILM BLOCKS
CFF SALUTES YOUR SHORTS – STUDENT AND TENNESSEE FILMMAKER SHORTS
BLACKOUT Director: Logan Nipper
BOOTSTRAPPED Director: Joe Heath
CAROUSEL Director: Christopher Kosakowski
CAST & BREW Director: Priscilla Zanni
CLOSING SHIFT Director: M-Alain Bertoni
COTTON CANDY RANDY Director: Matt Eslinger
DON'T LEAVE ME Director: Jennifer Saura
FINN F. FINCH & THE CLOCK CONTRAPTION: THE LUNAR LOVERS Director: Toby Darling
SLEEPING PRINCESS Director: Callie Bacon
THE GILDED MIRROR Director: Jack Dudley Gewant
THE JUDGEMENT Director: Harry Corney
THE RECLUSE Director: Matt Webb
VEIL OF THE VANISHING Director: Mason James UleryDANGEROUS VISIONS – GENRE SHORTS
EVELYN’S HERE Directors: Sean Temple, Sarah Wisner
HEADPHONES Director: Steven Arriagada
KNITTING CLUB Directors: Diogo Abrantes, João Rito
LITTLE DEATHS Director: Derek Bensonhaver
LONG DISTANCE Directors: Max Kane, Mike Overton, Joey Krulock
NANOCELL Director: Gavin Hignight
NEARSIGHTED Director: Ryan Eatherton
REDNECK Director: Alexandria Basso
SCISSORS Director: Hannah Alline
SEASON'S GREETINGS Director: Michael Dougherty
SIREN Director: Andrew Todd
SLEEP TIGHT Director: Grace Presse
THE BOUND PRINCE Directors: Christian Gridelli, Hunter NorrisWTF (WATCH THESE FILMS!) – STRANGE AND EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS
BEWARE C*CKBLOCKING GHOSTS Director: Alys Murray
BIG FOOTPRINTS Directors: Jonathan Maxwell Shander
CHÄIR Director: Chris McInroy
FOREVER HOME Director: Ashley Wong
MIDNIGHT CITY Director: Bill Watterson
MY LEFT HAND IS A PART OF ME Director: Natasha Halevi
OPEN MIC Director: Jano Pita
PACKAGES Director: Nick Barat
PIMPLE Director: Fernando Alle
RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT Director: Corey Grispo
TACO NIGHT Director: John Raymond Roche III
TASTY BONES Director: Ronald Short
THE CANDLE Director: Ren Ariel Sano
THE MRS. WOLF SHOW Director: Drew Highlands
WALL UDDER Director: Alexandra Hayden
WOLF PUPPY Director: Sam OsbornVIRTUAL SHORT FILM BLOCKS
CFF SALUTES YOUR SHORTS – FUNSIZE EPICS EDITION VOL 1.
CROSSFADED Director: Jeffrey Rucker
ETERNAL Director: Joshua Jeffrey Miller
HATCHLINGS Director: Jahmil Eady
KNIFEMAN Director: MP Hayes
MYSTIC STYLEZ Director: Giovanni Fleming
PRIVATE i Director: Evan Patrick Adams
PYRE Director: Dylan Miller
RIDE PENDING Director: Sam Tiwanak
THE ARCADE ATTENDANTS Director: Corbin W.M. Peek
THE DAMNED THING Director: Estevan ValdezCFF SALUTES YOUR SHORTS – FUNSIZE EPICS EDITION VOL 2.
GOLDIE Director: Elise Frances Garner
NEBUCHADNEZZAR Director: Samuel Ogunremi
CAGED Director: Ben Caplan
THE SECOND COMING Director: Micha Straub
HAZELBETH Director: Graham Hastings
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE APOCALYPSE Director: Tiago Pimentel
SELFLESS Director: Will James Anderson
RACOON SOUP Director: Janie Gentry
THE PAINTER Director: Birdie Gilreath
TICK Director: Sam PermarDANGEROUS VISIONS – FUNSIZE EPICS EDITION VOL 1.
AMIRA Director: Javier Yañez Sanz
AS PALE AS DEATH Director: Ryan Kukec
B-SIDE Director: Caleigh Le Grand
GIMME Steven Schloss
HAUNTED BASEMENT Directors: A.J. Serrano, Hailey Choi
HEIRLOOMS Director: Dan Abramovici
MAN OF THE HOUSE Director: Alex Henes
RED RIBBONS IN THE HOUSE OF STAINED GLASS Director: Jeff Speed
SHIFT Director: Lucca Vieira
SLEEP CALL Director: Richer Huynh
STAY IN Director: Michael Buran
