The Chattanooga Film Festival is on the move.
The annual weekend of films, panels and workshops is leaving behind its home of its first four years, The Majestic, for a space with a view of the Tennessee River: the Chattanooga Theatre Center.
The CTC will serve as the venue for festival’s opening night films – “Rock Steady Row” and “Summer of ‘84” – and the world premiere of the documentary “Life after Flash.”
“Put ‘Mad Max,’ ‘John Wick,’ ‘The Warriors’ and a bit of ‘Animal House’ into a blender and then add BMX bikes, and what you get probably still won’t be as much fun as ‘Rock Steady Row,’” says Chris Dortch, festival executive director. “Rad, funny and a kinetically-paced blast, this film will set the perfect tone for CFF 2018.”
Director Trevor Stevens will be on hand to help kick things off.
“Summer of ‘84” is about a group of young friends that spend their summer on a quest to prove that their neighbor is a serial killer. “This film is for fans of everything from ‘Stranger Things’ to ‘The Goonies,’ offering a lot to love with style and a bit more darkness than you might expect,” Dortch says.
RKSS Films will be present to answer questions.
“Life after Flash” looks at the man behind the mask, Sam J. Jones, including his successes, battles and ultimate struggle for redemption. Director Lisa Downs, along with Jones and producer Ashely Pugh, will be in attendance for the screening.
“CFF has quickly grown over the last four years,” Dortch adds. “For our fifth anniversary, we weren’t going to settle for anything less than our best, most insane year yet.”
Dortch says the 44,000-square foot Chattanooga Theatre Centre will be the perfect home for the festival’s fifth year.
“Not only will CFF be holding the event in a place that feels like Chattanooga through and through, but we’ll also have the opportunity to creatively fill the building with film, education and movie-related mischief,” he explains.
Badges for CFF’s full weekend are on sale at www.chattfilmfest.org. Individual tickets to films, workshops and events will be available closer to April. Volunteer sign-up can also be found on the website. Corporate badge packages are available for purchase as well. For more information on these packages, email Chris Dortch, Sr., at chris1@chattfilmfest.org.
The first CFF was held in 2014. The festival’s record-breaking fourth year drew more than 12,000 people to its films, workshops and special events.
Founded in 1923 as the Little Theatre of Chattanooga, the CTC is one of the oldest, largest and busiest community theatres in the country. Its productions, which number 15 annually, are seen by more than 50,000 people.
Source: CFF