Independent and off-beat films have found a home here in the Scenic City
There is no doubt that the Chattanooga film scene has grown enormously from where it used to be. I’ve been covering film in Chattanooga for seven years now and I remember what it was like when I first started—the film scene was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep.
But starting with Mise En Scenesters, suddenly there was light. Steadily, through a variety of venues and setbacks, the Chattanooga Film Festival was born. It was good. It’s been good for the past four years, offering fans a variety of films, guests, panels, and eccentricities not usually found in a city this size.
For this year’s State of the Arts, I caught up with the creator and Executive Director of the CFF Chris Dortch to discuss the future of the festival as well as his newest project, The Palace Picture House, Chattanooga’s own art house theater.
“The Palace continues to be a dream come true,” Dortch says, “I’m not sure many folks know this but we were able to successfully spin The Palace off of the Chattanooga Film Festival and make it self-sustainable. We’ve even been able to hire some of our long time volunteers to help us run the place.
“The film lovers and filmmakers of any vibrant city need at least one screen somewhere that is being programmed not just booked,” he continues. “A place where every movie that plays is a carefully curated selection rather than just what happened to be getting a wide release that week. We hope that more and more folks will find out about The Palace and help us do more than just keep our dream alive but allow it to thrive and hopefully eventually become as integral to our town’s arts and entertainment culture as a venue like JJ’s Bohemia.”
For example, in a single month they will be hosting all five films of the truly amazing Japanese girl gang Stray Cat Rocks! series, a one night only special event screening of Judd Apatow’s new Avett Brothers doc, a triple feature of David Lynch movies, and the start of their new partnership with the good folks at PBS.
“That’s really just us getting warmed up and settled in to our new space at the Tomorrow Building,” Dortch explains. “We are already starting to get to do some of my personal film geek bucket list things—for example we have a secret screening of a bizarre classic every Tuesday night at 10 p.m.”
Given the recent AMC takeover of Chattanooga’s theaters, creating a uniform space for all things Hollywood, The Palace plays an important role for anyone that wants to see something outside the ordinary film going experience.
But as always, there’s more than just the weekly screenings to look out for. October in particular offers year seven of the Frightening Ass Film Festival, as well as a new series entitled Shingdig.
Of the FAFF, Dortch says that the festival is “our very first under the roof of our new home at the Palace. We’ve opened it up to film submissions from filmmakers all over for the first time, have a top secret plan with Mr. Nick Lutsko, and even some shenanigans cooked up with the Chattanooga Snack Attack folks.”
This is truly FAFF living up to its weird potential: horror movies, live music, comedy, food, and art. The festival runs at The Palace Oct. 27 and 28, but earlier in the month, Oct. 6 and 7, The Palace is hosting year one of Shindig, Chattanooga’s first ever LGBTQ+ film event.
“The world of film is growing in Chattanooga and with it the audience is growing,” Dortch says. “Just like we do with FAFF, CFF are now working with other filmmakers and industry professionals to create single day mini festivals. Themed celebrations of different types of film that will occur throughout the year. Filmmaker Billy Ray Brewton has come on board to help us make [Shindig], something we think folks will really love.”
The big event, of course, is the Chattanooga Film Festival in the spring and of it Dortch continues looking forward.
“Every year we ask how we can produce a better and more entertaining event than the year before,” he says. “CFF 2018 will be year five for us and even though this damn thing almost kills us every year somehow we still love it more than ever.”
He continues, “Year five has us taking what I think will be a huge step for the future of the festival by involving more of our cities historic landmarks and venues in the fun and also some special programming and guests that we think will blow people’s minds. Also, look for another edition of our live script read which was so bananas last year it’s destined to become CFF tradition.”
Ultimately, Dortch sums up the state of film in Chattanooga as follows: “I feel like the scene is getting stronger all the time. Every week it seems like I meet a new student or newcomer to our city with a passion for film.”
Let’s keep it alive. Support local film.