Chattanooga Film Festival 2021 Wrap-Up
I’ve been going to the Chattanooga Film Festival for a while now, come hell or high water. Last year, I detailed the festival switching to a virtual format, and now, in 2021, I found myself sitting down in front of a computer, ready to participate at home again. While, yes, it’s very convenient to have access to these things whenever you want throughout the weekend, it’s much easier for life to get in the way when you’re staying at home instead of traveling to an all-weekend festival. So, this year I only got to check out a handful of films, some of which were great when seen virtually. Others…not so much, but, in all fairness, I’m not sure the theater experience would’ve helped that much.
Scenes from an Empty Church
My first film of the festival called to me as one of the few non-genre offerings at a festival that advertises itself as almost entirely genre. Scenes from an Empty Church is one of those movies in the newly-emerging subgenre of pandemic movies. However, rather than exploiting this era for some entertaining purpose, this is a slice-of-life film about New York City at the height of COVID-19. The film takes a long look at faith and how to reconcile that concept during such a deeply distressing time, but it’s a little hindered by the amateurish feeling of this production. It doesn’t get quite as grey and nuanced with these concepts as it should, considering how many people finally fully divorced themselves from the church in the wake of the pandemic. It’s sugar-coated as hell, but even a sugary treat is pretty great sometimes, if you’re in the mood for it.
Events Transpiring Before, During, and After a High School Basketball Game
This quaint little Canadian production is a lovely little dry comedy about one of the most routine, normal possible parts of everyday life. The film is exactly as the title says, following a few different characters as they prepare for a rough game. It’s a delightful little seventy-five minute film. That quick-and-easy runtime, some really realistic, grounded characters, and more than a few moments that made me laugh out loud more than once, even though I was alone in my home, all combine to make this a standout in the film festival lineup this year.
Alien On Stage
This delightful documentary takes a look at a small community theater group in the UK that put on a stage production of Alien, first in their hometown, then on a West End stage. More than anything else, this is a cute, feel-good doc that was mostly added to the film lineup to provide something chiller for viewers to hop over to after something more stressful and intense. In that way, Alien On Stage is a great success, as there are few things as charming as one of these amateur actors working hard not to smile and laugh, whether at a technical gaffe or just the sheer ridiculousness of what they’re doing. As a documentary, though, it’s a little rambling and, I’m sorry to admit, left me wondering if there was a good reason aside from Alien nostalgia for this doc to be made.
The Lodger
The Lodger is some wild French nonsense, and, personally, I am fully here for it. The concept is simple: a young nursing student moves in with an old married couple and begins to fall in love with the husband. A love triangle ensues. The catch is that the husband is dead and a ghost. This is a twisty, campy little thriller, full of all that slightly pretentious insanity that French cinema is known for. It’s nothing terribly groundbreaking or amazing, but it’s a damn fun film that I do wish I’d gotten to see in a theatrical setting.
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair
This film was the one I found most suited to the virtual environment of the festival. Honestly, I can’t imagine watching Jane Schoenbrun’s analysis of Internet culture and teenage angst in any way other than alone in my home office, dark and late at night, watching the loading wheel of the non-stop flow of World’s Fair content create a sense of spooky dread. Anna Cobb gives a star-making turn as a teenager who’s taking part in one of those viral “challenges” you see all over the Internet. This one is a part of a horror role-playing game, or something akin to that, so there’s an element of extra creepiness over the innate horrors of interacting with strangers who are cloaked in online anonymity. It’s a perfect late night watch, especially on a computer monitor all by yourself.
Secret Screening: Black Medusa
I decided to check out the secret screenings this year, especially considering that the virtual format makes it so much easier to dip out if and when one figures out that the screening is not their cup of tea. I did exactly that when I realized one screening was an old made-for-TV movie. I had to miss the other due to real life commitments, but I decided to stick around for the third screening: Black Medusa. Unfortunately, I still didn’t have a good time. There’s a lot to be said for the concept of a woman who stalks and assaults men as a reversal of the way we most often associate gender roles…but the filmmakers have absolutely nothing to say about gender, assault, or, well, anything this film puts forth. It’s one of those artsy black-and-white joints that ultimately feels entirely pointless and absurdly pretentious, all for nothing. Also, maybe a magic knife? Who knows. It’s just aggressively no fun whatsoever.
The Carnivores
Unfortunately, my film festival this year wrapped up on one I disliked quite a bit. The Carnivores is about a lesbian couple who keep losing their dog and are That Kind of Vegan™. One of them hates that dog with a passion, which leads to some not-so-fun animal cruelty vibes. On top of that, she starts having cravings for meat because…she and her girlfriend haven’t had sex in a while…because that makes sense, I guess… Both characters are super unlikable and nearly impossible to relate to. And yes, it is oddly refreshing to see a queer couple being depicted with relationship issues we more often see with only straight couples, but the film is ultimately a tough, unrewarding watch without much light at the end of the tunnel.
Ultimately, as we start getting back to theaters again and having big ol’ blockbusters and awards season movies available to us again, I’m also looking forward to possibly returning to an in-person film festival. Because, even if certain films are suited to this unique at-home format, there’s something so irreplaceable about the experience of watching something new or rare at a festival and the unique sense of exhaustion that comes with having seen four or five movies in a single day. I miss this kind of movie experience just as much as I did the typical popcorn-munching commercial theater, and I can’t wait to get back to it.
