The Chattanooga Film Festival is turning a very lucky 13 this year for its 2026 edition, and the first fun-sized wave of programming has arrived.
Discounted Early Bird badges are now on sale for the festival that’s being held in person at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre from June 18-21 and virtually June 19-27, 2026.
The annual event marks the long-awaited return of a fan-favorite guest: filmmaker Joe Lynch, who, along with his wife and frequent collaborator, filmmaker Becca Howard, will treat guests to a live episode of their popular podcast “A Couple of Old Fashioneds.”
CFF also once again honors its commitment to audience accessibility by offering a jam-packed slate of films and events that will be presented virtually. This includes the fourth year of the wildly popular nightly secret screening series RED EYE, in which fans are treated to virtual screenings and accompanying watch parties featuring some of the weirdest cinema on Earth.
Though the CFF continues to embrace new technologies that make it easier for film fans to participate in the fun, they’ve doubled down on their highly publicized ban on films and productions made with the use of generative AI software.
“As we rapidly approach a world in which all major film studios are owned by the same small group of billionaires and both the theatrical window and the human side of film production are being threatened, we feel a deep responsibility to remind fans that it’s human heart, creativity and community that have made the medium of motion pictures such an impactful one,“ said Chris Dortch II, Festival Director and Lead Film Programmer.
In addition to CFF’s GenAI ban, festival organizers are also launching their first-ever A.I. (Analog Idiocy) filmmaking challenge. The festival is asking filmmakers to create their own AI-free 30-60-second anti-AI public service announcement videos. Those interested in participating can email their Anti-AI ads to the festival at CFFhelpdesk@chattfilmfest.org before midnight on April 31st. The festival’s programming team will select a winner and, in addition to receiving a pair of hybrid 2026 VIP festival badges, the winning spot will also screen before each and every one of the festival’s in-person screenings.
Read on for the fun-sized first wave…
GRIND (d. Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, Chelsea Stardust)
This horror anthology tackles the modern work landscape through four timely perspectives – the hustle culture of an MLM, the endless repetitiveness of a food delivery driver, the online horrors of a content moderator, and the unionization of a familiar-feeling coffee shop.
CAMP (d. Avalon Fast)
Presented by Dark Sky
Haunted by a traumatic past, Emily finds solace as a camp counselor while navigating grief, witchcraft and the power of female friendship. Emily feels at home as she’s taken in by the other counselors, who accept her as she is and wrap her in a veil of peace & forgiveness. Emily stands at the forefront of a new kind of life, but there’s a voice out there in the woods she can’t quite seem to ignore. The voice is whispering – and she’s telling Emily to go home.
FLUSH (d. Grégory Morin)
Presented by Dark Sky
Middle-aged coke fiend Luc (Jonathan Lambert, Quentin Dupieux’s REALITY) is having a pretty terrible night. Having gone to confront his ex at the club where she works, determined to somehow win back her love, one thing leads to another and he soon finds himself wedged firmly in a toilet, effectively trapping him in a bathroom stall. Trapped, we should mention, with a heap of coke that he stole from the bar’s resident dealer. He’s soon found, setting off an increasingly crazy series of circumstances that veer from the hilarious to the intensely grotesque as Luc’s world is assailed from every conceivable direction in a bizarre race against time that will have you gasping.
FIRST FEATURE (d. Curtis James Matzke)
World Premiere
Intrepid student filmmaker Thomas Reilly-King (affectionately known as TRK) spends years doing whatever it takes to complete his first feature film, aptly titled Enduring Destiny, as classmate Curtis Matzke documents his antics and looks back on the experience together ten years later. Searching for fame in a production spanning several years, the unflappable writer/director/actor calls in every favor and spends his last dime to realize his bizarre vision. The resulting film is its own brand of absurdity, featuring an 80s-style theme song, superfluous green screen, and excessive ADR. He even makes talking action figures of his character. What began as a behind-the-scenes student production, FIRST FEATURE is a love letter to student filmmaking in the digital age, showcasing the absurdity of what could be a future cult classic.
MOCKBUSTER (d. Anthony Frith)
A struggling filmmaker’s chance at redemption collides with chaos and compromise as he navigates the eccentric world of notorious production house, The Asylum. Mockbuster is a comedic, behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of a B-grade smash, THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, that is both an unashamed celebration of trash cinema and a forensic look at the collision between art and commerce.
LUCID (d. Deanna Milligan and Ramsey Fendall)
A 1990s art student uses a lucid dreaming elixir to break through creative blocks, but soon finds herself trapped in a nightmarish underworld where her suppressed memories and inner demons become deadly monsters.
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