Chattanooga Film Festival
One of the American South's most respected genre film festivals, held annually in June in Chattanooga, Tennessee, celebrating genre cinema with a distinctive Southern independent spirit.
Overview
The Chattanooga Film Festival is one of the American South's most respected genre film festivals. Founded in 2015 and held annually in June in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the festival screens horror, science fiction, thriller, and genre-adjacent independent films and has quickly established a reputation for strong programming and genuine enthusiasm for the genres it celebrates.
Chattanooga is an unlikely but fitting home for a genre festival. The city's dramatic landscape -- perched at the foot of Lookout Mountain in the Tennessee River valley -- and its history as a former industrial center that has reinvented itself as a creative and outdoor destination create an environment that resonates with genre cinema's interest in transformation, threat, and wonder.
The festival is one of the five founding partners of the Nightstream collaborative festival and has connections across the American independent genre circuit.
Key Sections
- Feature Film Competition -- horror, sci-fi, and genre features
- Short Film Competition -- genre short films
- Special Screenings -- cult films and tributes
- Retrospectives -- programs celebrating classic genre filmmakers
What Filmmakers Should Know
Chattanooga accepts open submissions. The festival is particularly receptive to independent genre films with strong creative vision. The Southern independent spirit of the festival creates an atmosphere that values genuine filmmaking ambition over production polish.
Major Awards
- Best Feature -- jury prize
- Best Short Film
- Audience Award
Festival History
Chattanooga Film Festival was founded in 2015 and has quickly grown into one of the most respected genre events in the American Southeast.
See Also
For genre filmmaking, see Independent Filmmaking Strategies. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.
