The Chattanooga Film Festival announced Joe Bob Briggs as its featured guest speaker. Mr. Briggs will deliver a lecture on The History of Film, a talk that is exclusive to the Chattanooga Film Festival.
Mr. Briggs, who gained fame in the ‘80s and ‘90s as the world’s first “drive-in movie critic” on shows such as Joe Bob’s Drive-In Theater (TMC) and Monster Vision (TNT), specializes in cult films and B movies. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, he is a published author and one of the world’s leading film historians and an insightful chronicler of films of all genres.
Mr. Briggs said, “Everything about this lecture will surprise you.”
In addition to Mr. Brigg’s The History of Film lecture, the Chattanooga Film Festival also announced their first wave of feature film programming.
Amira & Sam- An army veteran's unlikely romance with an Iraqi immigrant is put to the test when she is faced with the prospect of deportation.
Body- A night out turns deadly when three girls break into a seemingly empty mansion.
Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter– A jaded Japanese woman discovers a hidden copy of Fargo (1996) on VHS, believe it to be a treasure map indicating the location of a large case of money.
Lambert & Stamp- Aspiring filmmakers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert set out to find a subject for their underground movie, one that will reflect the way it feels to be young and dissatisfied in postwar London. This unlikely partnership of two men from vastly different backgrounds was inspired by the burgeoning youth culture of the early 1960s. Lambert and Stamp searched for months and finally found in a band called the High Numbers (later to become The Who) a rebellious restlessness that was just what they were looking for.
Redeemer- A former hit-man for a drug cartel becomes a vigilante to pay for his sins and find redemption.
Spring- A young man in a personal tailspin flees the US to Italy, where he sparks up a romance with a woman harboring a dark, primordial secret.
Sunshine Superman- A heart-racing documentary portrait of Carl Boenish, the father of the BASE jumping movement, whose early passion for skydiving led him to ever more spectacular - and dangerous - feats of foot-launched human flight.
The Connection- A stylish, 70's-period crime thriller inspired by true events, The Connection tells the story of real-life Marseilles magistrate Pierre Michel (Academy Award Winner Jean Dujardin, The Artist, The Wolf Of Wall Street) and his relentless crusade to dismantle the most notorious drug smuggling operation in history: the French Connection.
The Keeping Room- Left without men in the dying days of the American Civil War, three Southern women - two sisters and one African-American slave - must fight to defend their home and themselves from two rogue soldiers who have broken off from the fast-approaching Union Army.
The Salt Of The Earth- For the last 40 years, the photographer Sebastião Salgado has been travelling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He has witnessed some of the major events of our recent history; international conflicts, starvation and exodus. He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, of wild fauna and flora, and of grandiose landscapes as part of a huge photographic project that is a tribute to the planet's beauty.
The Tribe- A deaf teenager struggles to fit into a boarding school system where crime is prevalent. This gorgeous and hypnotic film is presented entirely in sign language, with no subtitles, but is meant to be seen that way.
Slow West- Slow West' follows a 16-year-old boy on a journey across 19th Century frontier America in search of the woman he loves, while accompanied by mysterious traveler Silas.
White God- Thirteen-year-old Lili fights to protect her dog Hagen. She is devastated when her father eventually sets Hagen free on the streets. Still innocently believing love can conquer any difficulty, Lili sets out to find her dog and save him.
The Chattanooga Film Festival’s second year is set for April 2-5. "Following a successful first year with more than 4,000 attendees, the festival continues its mission to 'Respect Cinema,' in hopes of increasing film exhibition, education and production in the state of Tennessee," officials said.
For more information visit www.ChattanoogaFilmFest.com.