Chattanooga Film Festival Goes Off the Deep End With Outrageous First Wave of 2025 Titles
The Chattanooga Film Festival returns for its 12th annual edition from June 20–28, and its recently unveiled first wave of programming proves that this killer fest is showing absolutely zero signs of slowing down. Known for championing the offbeat, the terrifying, and the downright unclassifiable, CFF 2025 promises to be one of the year’s most exciting showcases of horror and genre.
Kicking things off with a splash, CFF’s 2025 Opening Night selection is the U.S. premiere of Hot Spring Shark Attack, a bonkers horror comedy from Japan presented in partnership with Utopia. The aquatic carnage continues post-screening with a full-blown indoor beach party featuring surf rockers Big Kahuna, tropical drinks courtesy of Cathead Distillery, and a karaoke clambake that promises everyone gets lei’d.
But as with anything great in life, sharks are just the beginning…
This year’s slate features an electrifying mix of world and U.S. premieres, daring genre hybrids, music documentaries, lo-fi fantasy epics, and late-night WTF oddities.
Among the newly announced titles:
Shane Brady’s horror comedy Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage Fueled Karma (World Premiere), a revenge-fueled caper with battle axes and bad ideas.
Casey Malone’s The Harbor Men (World Premiere) is a hauntingly surreal viral outbreak mystery. Izzy Lee’s House of Ashes, which CFF fans got a sneak peek of last year, is now unveiled in its completed form.
Trevor Stevens’ The Misadventures of Vince & Hick (World Premiere), a crime comedy road trip with heart and hilarity.
Braden Sitter Sr.’s The Pee Pee Poo Poo Man, a so-insane-you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it psycho-spiritual Toronto rampage.
Other feature standouts include:
Obex is a dreamy black-and-white fantasy about a man journeying through a retro PC game to rescue his dog. Operation Wakaliga: Fate and Blood, a deliriously ambitious Uganda-Israel kung-fu collab. Crossword, I Hate Myself and Want to Die, King Baby, and I Really Love My Husband—each a singular take on grief, love, or sheer madness.
CFF will also host a special screening of The Craft with screenwriter Peter Filardi in person, plus a bonus showing of his new short Damn Handy, followed by a Q&A.
Rounding out the madness? A double dose of The Crow nostalgia with David Ullman’s VHS-era remake documentary Inertia and a screening of his teen-crafted take on the original.
The 2025 edition will once again feature an industry-defining virtual component, including the return of the festival’s acclaimed Red Eye late-night secret screening series. And in keeping with its values, CFF has announced a continued ban on films made with generative AI, reaffirming its belief in the irreplaceable power of human creativity.
With over 40 features, dozens of shorts, live podcasts, secret screenings, and more madness to come, this first wave proves that Chattanooga Film Festival remains a singular destination for weird, wonderful, and wildly passionate cinema.
Badges are available now at chattfilmfest.eventive.org.
Fans eager to secure their spot can use the promo code MAYDAY for a special subscribers-only badge discount. This year’s lineup is not one to sleep on.
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