Film Fests
The Chattanooga Film Festival 2024 Lineup Is WILD
It’s June, so you know that means we have another fantastic lineup for Chattanooga Film Festival! While the festival always boasts an impressive collection of films, they decided to go nuclear for 2024. CFF 2024 “has now more than doubled down and conjured a mega-wave of 21 additional features, more than 80 short films, more parties, panels and podcasts alongside the festival’s infamous watch parties.” Last year, I was awed by Trim Season, and just looking at the lineup this year has me frothing at the mouth for June 21st. So what do we have to look forward to?
It’s June, so you know that means we have another fantastic lineup for Chattanooga Film Festival! While the festival always boasts an impressive collection of films, they decided to go nuclear for 2024. CFF 2024 “has now more than doubled down and conjured a mega-wave of 21 additional features, more than 80 short films, more parties, panels and podcasts alongside the festival’s infamous watch parties.” Last year, I was awed by Trim Season, and just looking at the lineup this year has me frothing at the mouth for June 21st. So what do we have to look forward to?
Chattanooga Film Festival is known for many things, and one of them is its annual FREE kick-off event. “This year’s launch party is a tribute to one of the festival’s first champions. Filmmaker Jeff Burr (From A Whisper To A Scream, Leatherface) was the embodiment of CFF’s mission to bring great genre cinema to the city of Chattanooga and beyond. He accomplished this with numerous screenings of his own films but also as a warm-hearted film historian, educator, and mentor to young, local filmmakers. Jeff gave fans new reasons to love cult classics screening for CFF audiences. This event is a free-to-attend (Jeff would have wanted it that way) celebration of the life and films of Jeff Burr.”
Chattanooga Film Festival 2024 Lineup
There will also be three world premieres at the festival with Kelsey Egan’s The Fix, Racheal Cain’s Somnium, and Ariel Vida’s Sleep, Wake, Forget. And those are just the premieres! Let’s take a look at the full lineup (Make sure to get your badges here!):
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Blind Cop 2
Director Alec Bonk | United States 2023 | Virtual
Blind Cop, the former beacon of justice, is consumed by grief after the mysterious death of his partner in the first movie. (There is no first movie.) His once-illustrious career has been reduced to drunken disorderly conduct, putting him at odds with the police force. In his investigation of a new influx of arms trafficking, Blind Cop discovers a lead that connects the illegal weapons to his partner’s death. However, he is fired from the force for his reckless behavior. Now Blind Cop must venture into the dark underworld of the city to continue his investigation. With the help of a bright-eyed young man who wants to follow in his footsteps, they will uncover a web of deceit and corruption that will challenge Blind Cop’s perceptions of justice and morality.
The truth he seeks may not be what he expected, but he will stop at nothing to avenge his fallen partner and bring the criminals responsible to justice.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Cannibal Mukbang
Director Aimee Kuge | United States 2023 | Virtual
An introverted nerd finds himself dangerously deep inside the crazy world of mukbanging after he falls head over heels for a mysterious woman.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Canvas
Directors Kimberly Stuckwisch, Melora Donoghue | United States 2022 | Virtual
Pitted against each other since youth and raised to believe true artists are only formed through suffering, two sisters reunite after years of estrangement. One sister learns authenticity and the other regret, but neither escapes the sins of their father.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Carnage For Christmas – Southeast Premiere
Alice Maio Mackay | Australia 2023 | Virtual
When true-crime podcaster and sleuth Lola visits her hometown at Christmas for the first time since running away and transitioning, the vengeful ghost of a historical murderer and urban legend seemingly arises to kill again. Lola must solve the case before her community is slaughtered. She’s up against not only a psychotic killer, but a town haunted by secrets.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Daughter of the Sun
Director Ryan Ward | Canada 2023 | Virtual
A 12-year-old girl struggles with life on the run as she travels across the country with her father who has Tourette Syndrome. Wanting nothing more than a normal family life, she befriends a community of outcasts in the remote countryside who want to harness a volatile supernatural power her father is hiding.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Falling Stars
Directors Richard Karpala, Gabriel Bienczycki | United States 2023 | In Person
On the first night of harvest, three brothers set out for the desert to see a witch’s corpse.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
In the Name of God
Director Ludwig Gur | Sweden 2024 | Virtual
After the wife of Theodor, a 40-year-old priest, falls seriously ill, he seeks guidance from his old mentor who convinces him he has been chosen by God to rid the world of sinners to bring new life to true believers. He then commits his first murder, convinced it is a necessary sacrifice in service of his divine mission. At the moment of the murder, his wife’s health improves and the congregation starts referring to him as the “miracle priest,” knowing nothing of his horrible act. But lurking in the shadows is a disbelieving man who begins to uncover the bloody traces of the priest’s unholy deeds.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Killington
Directors Mark Dudzinksi, Frank Perz | United States 2023 | Virtual
When a group of women from Manhattan win a weekend getaway with wellness influencer Kali to picturesque Killington, Vermont, the creepy local vibes and characters take on a life of their own. Tensions spark among the longtime friends as Kali pushes their boundaries, and things take an unexpected turn.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Love And Work
Director Pete Ohs | United States 2023 | Hybrid
Diane and Fox love to work. Unfortunately, they live in a polarized world where having a job is illegal.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
NOCLIP
Directors Gavin Charles, Alex Conn | United States 2023 | Virtual
Two filmmakers set out on an adventure into a creepy old mall, only to find themselves lost in an increasingly claustrophobic maze of hallways, liminal spaces, stairwells, and backrooms in this comedic found footage horror film.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Off Ramp
Director Nathan Tape | United States 2023 | Virtual
A couple of lovable, degenerate Juggalos must sojourn through America’s hellish underbelly to The Gathering of the Juggalos, the one place on earth they feel accepted.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Quantum Suicide
Director Gerrit Van Woudenberg | Canada 2023 | Virtual
A reclusive physicist builds a particle accelerator in his garage and embarks on a quest to understand the nature of reality. In the process of his experiments he suffers radiation poisoning, loses his vision and alienates his partner, who eventually leaves him. But in his obsession he finds clarity and the key to understanding our reality. There is one final test he must perform.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Red Rooms
Director Pascal Plante | France 2024 | In Person
The high-profile case of serial killer Ludovic Chevalier has just gone to trial, and Kelly-Anne is obsessed. When reality blurs with her morbid fantasies, she goes down a dark path to seek the final piece of the puzzle: the missing video of a murdered 13-year-old girl, to whom Kelly-Anne bears a disturbing resemblance.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Sleep, Wake, Forget – World Premiere
Ariel Vida | United States
In a fallen world, a young man will stop at nothing to save his brother from becoming one of the creatures they have spent their lives running from.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
SOMNIUM – World Premiere
Director Racheal Cain | United States 2023 | In Person
At an experimental sleep clinic, Somnium, your dreams are made real. Side effects may include: hallucinations, confusion, paranoia, sleep paralysis, detachment from reality, lost sense of self, permanent nightmares.
The Buildout
Director Zeshaan Younus | United States 2023 | Virtual
A friendship is tested as two women experience something strange in the desert.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
The Fix – World Premiere
Director Kelsey Egan | South Africa 2023 | Hybrid
A dark, dystopian thrill ride with an environmental slant, The Fix explores identity, perception and autonomy in a frighteningly viable future. A toxic compound infects earth’s atmosphere. Pharmaceutical giant, Aethera, sells immunity to those who can afford the daily dose… most can’t. When a troubled model takes a new designer drug at a house party, she suffers a shocking transformation. Pursued by a dangerous gang and authorities in cahoots with Aethera, she hunts desperately for a “fix” to reverse the drug’s effects… only to discover that her mutations could save the human race.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
The Lonely Man With The Ghost Machine
Director Graham Skipper | United States 2023 | Virtual
The last man on Earth after a global catastrophe finds himself questioning his purpose and sanity as both his dead wife and a mysterious stranger confront him with his past, his present, and whatever future might remain in the wastes of a dead world.
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
The UFOS of Soesterberg
Director Bram Roza | Netherlands 2023 | Virtual
In the early morning of February 3, 1979, a mysterious object flew over Soesterberg Air Base. At least twelve soldiers witnessed this. Despite being in the middle of the cold war this event has still remained unexplained. And that is not the only anomalous sighting in that specific part of the Netherlands…
Image courtesy of Chattanooga Film Festival
Things Will Be Different
Director Michael Felker | United States 2024 | In Person
In order to escape police after a robbery, two estranged siblings lay low in a farmhouse that hides them away in a different time. There they reckon with a mysterious force that pushes their familial bonds to unnatural breaking points.
Short Film blocks will include:
CFF Salutes Your Shorts – Student & Regional Shorts
Analog Exorcism – Directed by Jim Shashaty
A Portrait of Elizabeth – Directed by Corey Simpson
Big Break – Directed by Harrison Shook
Dead Presidents – Directed by Ryan Lilienfield
Descension – Directed by Valery Garcia
Hope Chest – Directed by Dycee Wildman, Jennifer Bonior
Implications of the Bootstrap Paradox on Spatiotemporal Continuity – Directed by Shaler Keenum
Kino Kopf – Directed by Jack Cosgriff
Out of Order – Directed by Catherine Mosier-Mills
Washed Up – Directed by Thomas Bayne
Dangerous Visions – Horror and Sci-Fi Shorts
13th Night – Directed by Benjamin Percy
Accidental Stars – Directed by Emily Bennett
Butterscotch – Directed by Alexander Lee Deeds
Dream Creep – Directed by Carlos A.F. Lopez
Hi! You Are Currently Being Recorded – by Anna Maguire, Kyle Greenberg
Let’s Go Disco – Directed by Austin Lewis
Pit Stop – Directed by David A. Flores
Souling – Directed by Jacquelyn Ferguson
The Influencer – Directed by Lael Rogers
The Thaw – Directed by Sarah Wisner, Sean Temple
WTF (Watch These Films) – Strange & Magical Shorts
Body – Directed by Ronald Short
Cart Return – Directed by Matt Webb
Gum – Directed by Sam Elder
Like Me – Directed by Ashley Thomas
Make Me a Pizza – Directed by Talia Shea Levin
One Happy Customer – Directed by WATTS
Stairwell – Directed by David Britton, Anthony Ceceri
The 44th Chamber of Shaolin – Directed by Jon Truei
The Curse of the Velvet Vampire – Directed by Christoffer Sandau Schuricht
The Rainbow Bridge – Directed by Dimitri Simakis
The Shadow Wrangler – Directed by Grace Rex
Type A – Directed by Jake Barcus
Two Women Make a Lunch Plan – Directed by Elizabeth Archer
We Joined a Cult – Directed by Chris McInroy
Bride of WTF
A.A. – Directed by Auden Bui
A Visual Poem – Directed by Benjamin N. Walant
All is Lost – Directed by Carla Pereira, Juanfran Jacinto
Burn Out – Directed by Russell Goldman
Catacombs – Directed by Chad Cunningham
Disciple – Directed by Boston Enderle
Don’t You Dare Film Me Now – Directed by Cade Featherstone
Fck’n Nuts – Directed by Sam Fox
Hunky Dory – Directed by Steven Vander Meer
Krampuss – Directed by Guðni Líndal Benediktsson
Ouchie – Directed by Kyle Kuchta
Quiet! Mom’s Working! – Directed by P Patrick Hogan
Shadow – Directed by Kamell Allaway
The Crossing Over Express – Directed by Luke Barnett, Tanner Thomason
So Long and Thanks For all the Dangerous Visions
Apotemnofilia – Directed by Jano Pita
Come Back Haunted – Directed by Logan James Freeman
Consumer – Directed by Matthew Fisher
Giallo – Directed by Yogesh Chandekar
Nian – Directed by Michelle Krusiec
Night Feeding – Directed by Sarah K. Reimers
Outer Reaches – Directed by Karl Redgen
Roger is a Serial Killer – Directed by Don Swaynos
Spooky Crew – Directed by Erin Broussard
Strange Creatures – Directed by Nicholas Payne Santos
That’s Our Time – Directed by Alex Backes
The Little Curse – Directed by Nicholas Berger, Dana Berry
The Noise – Directed by Jillian Shea Spaeder, Bryce Gheisar
When Shadows Lay Darkest – Jacob Leighton Burns
Funsize Epics Vol 1.
Amos’ Bride – Directed by Yakako Fujimori
Caller 102: A Ballad of Cyberspace – Directed by Turner Barrowman, Jack Goldfisher
Cotton Candy Sky – Directed by Michael Curtis Johnson
Dumpster Archeology – Directed by Dustie Carter
Get Me Off This F@*king Planet Quincy – Directed by John Yost
Honk – Directed by Charles de Lauzirika
Hot Soda – Directed by Nello DiGiandomenico
Redcoat – Directed by Michaela Hounslow
Seraphim – Directed by Oscar Ramos
Spiral to the Center – Directed by Alisa Stern, Scott Ampleford
The Dumpster Dive – Directed by Laura Asherman
Villa Mink – Directed by Darron Carswell
We Need Some Space – Directed by Ian Geatz, Antonio Zapiain Luna
Funsize Epics Vol 2.
CARNIVORA – Directed by Felipe Vargas
Dark Mommy – Directed by Courtney Eck
Eyes Like Yours – Directed by Gabrielle Chapman
Floater – Directed by D. M. Harring
Good Girls Get Fed – Directed by Kelly Lou Dennis
Inked – Directed by Kelsey Bollig
Lost Boys Pizza – Directed by Cassie Llanas
Mort – Directed by Charlie Queen
Madame Hattori’s Izakaya – Directed by Shanna Fujii
Robbie Ain’t Right No More – Directed by Kyle Perritt
The Garden of Edette – Directed by Guinevere Fey Thomas
The Kindness of Strangers – Directed by Stu Silverman
The Lonely Portrait – Directed by Marc Marashi
Too Slow – Directed by Danielle McRae Spisso, Stephen Vanderpool
Up on the Housetop – Directed by Dakota Millett, Michael Fischer
Vespa – Directed by Olívia Ramos
Volition – Directed by Ashley George
CFF24 kicks off June 21st and you don’t want to miss it! And again, you can purchase badges here!
Last week, the Fantasia International Film Festival wrapped up yet another stellar year of madness and mayhem after showcasing over 120 feature films and over 200 shorts from 54 different countries. At the opening ceremony, artistic director Mitch Davis enthusiastically reflected on the festival’s 30 years of cutting-edge film programming. At the festival’s inception and for many years, the programming team would seek out international films that could not secure distribution in the North American market (and those that did would often end up modified and heavily edited, something Davis called “a constant cultural crime”). Recently, streaming platforms have completely changed the game. “It’s a miracle that Fantasia has lasted the way that it has,” said Davis while praising the team of programmers for continuing to support indie genre filmmaking.
Fantasia Film Festival 2026 Round Up
One thing that remains consistent at Fantasia International Film Festival is a dedication to featuring films made by human labor in all sorts of creative ways. Practical effects reigned supreme, and audiences reacted enthusiastically to anything that challenged filmmaking norms. Here are some of our highlights from the fest that showcased those values. (For coverage of our absolute favs, check out these articles about Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Mum I’m Alien Pregnant, Castration Movie and Corpus)
No Rest for the Wicked
This dark gothic tale from the remote Faroe Islands truly enthralled audiences. Director Kasper Kalle gave his actors plenty of space to long after one another while showcasing the stunning, dramatic landscape of the islands. The premise may be simple, but the execution is perfect, and it’s no wonder that Kalle took home the Cheval Noir award for directing (as did actor Pilou Asbaek for his performance).
Nightborn
Hanna Bergholm’s follow up to her debut Hatching (2022) stars Seidi Haarla as a new mum (alongside Rupert Grint as her husband) who moves to the Finnish countryside to restore her childhood cottage. Motherhood proves way more challenging than she expects, and her newborn child doesn’t quite match her expectations. Nightborn truly goes off the rails while blending both body and folk horror, and took home the top prize for Best Film at the festival.
Drag
Lucy DeVito and Lizzie Caplan star in this thriller about two sisters trying to break out of a mansion that they broke into. The less said the better about the plot, but it’s safe to say that the situation escalates dramatically. The construction of this story expertly uses detail to play with tension and humor, which makes it really fun to watch alongside a rambunctious crowd.
I Love Paris
This vampire mockumentary follows an ambitious Parisian wannabe pop star (who dubs herself Paris) as she tries to secure a coveted spot at an upcoming music festival with a little help from supernatural forces. Aminata Thiboult nails the titular role as she and her friends rampage across the city seeking both fame and blood.
Black Zombie
Maya Annik Bedward does an incredible job of weaving together the history of Haiti, Voodoo, and the zombie mythology in this must-see documentary. The story of what it took to get this film completed perhaps deserves its own documentary. “We started filming in LA in March 2020, so I was in LA when the whole world shut down,” Bedward told us at the premiere, adding “after that, things changed a lot.” She explained that after Haiti’s president was assassinated in 2021, “things have just become more and more difficult for people in Haiti and I’d say the majority of the people who were involved in the film – if they could leave, they’ve left.”
Colony
Director Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) returns to the zombie genre with this fast-paced gonzo action-horror hybrid about a group of strangers trying to escape a horde of people who seemingly share a hive mind. It’s fun, it’s dumb, and it has a very high body count.
Buddy
What if Barney the purple dinosaur was an orange unicorn, and was also evil? That is basically the story of Buddy, a demonic beast masquerading as a beloved children’s TV show as he summons his victims to his universe. Too Many Cooks creator Casper Kelly delivers this madhouse of a film full of gorgeous sets, practical effects, and lots of fantastic gore.
Short Films Matter at Fantasia Film Festival Too!
The short film program is just as important as the features, and this year we saw some real knockouts! Sleep Through Summer stunned audiences with its eerie dystopian punishment system, and I Walked Through The Wall was notable for its creativity and acting. Needle had us all squirming and cringing through its final moments, and the sheer scope of The Pigs Underneath left an unforgettable impression.
Honorable mentions!
- Ferine was an absolutely bonkers modern giallo bloodfest with a magnificent score.
- Home Bodies, a locked room story about two siblings being raised by a disembodied voice, had the best production design of any film we saw.
- Godhead is Mark H Rappaport’s (slightly) less disturbing follow-up to his cult hit Hippo. Here he delivers another stunning visual feast.
- The Glorious Dead is the latest entry from festival favs The Adams Family. They applied their unique community style of filmmaking to an apocalyptic horror show set in a snow-covered small town, and the result will absolutely please their fans.
On a personal note, it’s always a joy to immerse myself in such a crazy festival like Fantasia. Shout out to the staff and volunteers who keep the whole event running, and see you next year!
Corpus
Corrin Evans premiered her debut feature film Corpus at Fantasia Film Festival.
Corpus is a steamy thriller set in 1997 New York, which follows a group of friends who travel to a remote mansion for a party, though what they find is not quite what they expected.
Intimacy and consent are at the heart of this film. The characters often long for and lust after each other, and Evans makes sure that the audience feels every breath and every touch. The film looks exquisite, thanks in part to cinematographer Charlie Cole. Together they designed a lighting setup using either natural lighting or very hot tungsten lights (which added to the steamy aesthetic). “I just love the body,” explained Evans at the world premiere in Montreal. “I knew I wanted it to feel very visceral and flowing from the gut, like you’re really with these characters up close. I wanted to be able to feel skin and pores.”
Having worked as an intimacy coordinator for several years, Evans brought her industry experience to both the story and her directing choices. Co-writer and actor Lily Cowles (who plays Billie in the film) praised Evans for her directing style. “I’ve often thought the reason that you’re a good director is the same reason you’re a good intimacy coordinator.” Cowles continued, adding that “when you’re on set, there’s a level of safety and an openness, and you can really trust that Corrin’s going to keep you in that pocket.”
So much of Corpus was crafted by the hands of the cast and the crew. Many of the effects were done practically (including one devastating moment that we will not spoil here), and the main location – an old mansion – was dressed and designed to feel authentically lived in. Even the score, composed by VAAAL (pronounced like wall with a v), was created using an organic process. “ I’ve been wanting to work with him forever,” explained Evans about their collaboration. “He’s an insane musician.”
Corpus will leave your skin crawling in all the best possible ways.
Castration Movie Chapter iii.ii Junior Ghosts—Premorphic Drift; a fragmentary passage
Louise Weard showcased an excerpt from the third part of her anthology epic Castration Movie at Fantasia Film Festival last month.
Weard’s epic anthology film is all about exploring “trans-temporality”, as she explained to the Fantasia crowd. “Your timeline gets so skewed in an interesting way, where transition becomes this benchmark.” Her original intent was to release one long 24h film as a way to reclaim that lost time, so to speak. She uses her family’s digital camcorder to shoot everything and uses tapes of her as a child to record and re-record her footage. She writes, directs, shoots, and edits everything, often exploring very dark topics.
While this may sound intimidating on paper, Weard writes with a vicious sense of humor, and has an excellent sense of how to balance sincerity with cringe. This particular section focuses its story on a romantic couple as one partner transitions. Weard’s excerpt produced maybe the most visceral reactions of the festival, with audience members actively heckling one of the onscreen characters during the film’s final act. While previous chapters have featured both graphic and sexually explicit content, this part focused instead on a kind of deep emotional trauma that is usually left to the most toxic of internet forums.
“This movie is my parody of Lawrence Anyways,” quipped Weard (who is trans herself) as the audience was still reeling from the film. She went on to explain how often trans stories are told from the perspective of the cis gaze, that the narrative arc focuses on how a cis person feels about another person’s transness. Weard’s camera work often zooms into the cis partner’s eyes as they watch their trans partner go about their day. “We’re going to really put that gaze under the microscope, almost literally in terms of how zoomed in we are on those eyes. And I think it creates a horror atmosphere in a lot of ways.”
The full scope of Castration Movie is yet to be revealed. Castration Movie Anthology i: Traps has a daunting runtime of 4h 35m, while Castration Movie Anthology ii: The Best of Both Worlds runs 5h. The excerpt presented at Montreal’s International Fantasia Festival ran 2h 10m, though Weard plans to release the full Castration Movie Anthology iii: Year of the Hyaena later this year, and is already working on an Anthology IV and V. “I like to think of it at this point like show running. Because it’s been literally nonstop production for coming up on four years. I’ve been shooting every weekend for four years.”
Weard was working as a PA when she started shooting her film, but “unfortunately, I kept running out of money,” she laughed, and of course the 2023 writer’s strike did not help her situation. She decided to release segments of her film to raise funds so she could keep shooting. With this specific 2h segment, Weard hopes to bring more audiences into her universe. “This gets to be the easy access point where someone can demo the castration movie experience for just two hours and decide if they want to commit to the whole 24-hour endeavor,” she chuckled.
