KNOXVILLE, TN (September 8, 2026) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – FILM FEST KNOX announces that the opening night film for this year’s festival will be Mouse, directed by Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson. A coming-of-age drama set in 2002 in O’Sullivan’s hometown of North Little Rock, Arkansas, Mouse was critically acclaimed following its premiere at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival. FILM FEST KNOX will take place November 12–15, 2026, at the downtown Regal Riviera in Knoxville, Tennessee.
FILM FEST KNOX also announces the lineup of the 2026 Made in Tennessee Competition. Three feature-length films and fifteen shorts will compete for three cash prizes—Best Film, Best Director, and the Jury Prize—along with honorary mentions. The eighteen films were selected from more than 120 qualifying submissions and represent the great quality and diversity of filmmaking throughout the state.
ABOUT MOUSE
It's 2002, and best friends Minnie (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) and Callie (Chloe Coleman) are heading into their senior year of high school, with Minnie long living in the protective shadow of the charismatic and admired Callie. When their friendship is suddenly upended at the start of the summer, Minnie struggles to define her own identity and forms a complicated relationship with Callie’s poised, attentive mother (Oscar nominee and Tony winner Sophie Okonedo), pulling her further from her own chaotic home. The ensemble also features David Hyde Pierce, Tara Mallen, and Iman Vellani.
Chicago-based filmmakers O'Sullivan and Thompson gained international notice with Saint Frances (2019), winner of the SXSW Audience Award, and Ghostlight (2024), a Sundance favorite that garnered multiple Independent Spirit nominations. O'Sullivan, who was named one of Filmmaker Magazine's “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” grounds her work in the specific character of the regional locations where she works, making Mouse a kind of homecoming to the world that shaped her.
“Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson make exactly the kinds of films we’re advocating for here at FILM FEST KNOX,” says Artistic Director Darren Hughes. “They’re deeply curious about the everyday tragicomedy of life and somehow manage to avoid all of the familiar cliches and pat answers. From the moment I saw it last February, I’ve been daydreaming of opening the fest with Mouse.”
Screen Daily called Mouse a "rich, emotionally satisfying and superbly acted bittersweet drama;" IndieWire judged it the duo's best work to date; and Vulture called it "quietly revelatory."
O’Sullivan will introduce Mouse and discuss it following the screening.
MADE IN TENNESSEE COMPETITION LINEUP
Betty's Potato Salad
Michael Friberg, 8 minutes
90-year-old Betty Seale reflects on the potato salad recipe she's been making since 1962.
Casey & the Star
Caleb Cook, 5 minutes
A cowboy in love with a star embarks on a musical, dreamlike journey through the whimsical world of outer space for the chance to finally meet his cosmic love face to face.
Date Night
William Cowser, Parker Rawlins, 5 minutes
Two young lovers create a pocket of candlelit intimacy as war approaches and the world outside begins to fracture.
DETOX
Eliza Noell, 3 minutes
In a desperate attempt to quit smoking, a woman throws away her cigarettes, only for them to start turning up... everywhere.
Fire On The Mountain, Chicken F'r Dinner
Nichole McMinn, 18 minutes
Wildfires bring more than smoke to a rural Appalachian town after a reclusive grandmother finds a bloody scene in her chicken coop. Struggling to protect what’s left and raise her young granddaughter alone, a strange presence in the woods forces her to confront what haunts them both.
Late Night Library
Tyler James Schulte, 7 minutes
When a nerdy guy is scared to ask out his crush, he tries to impress her with the world he's confident in: Math.
My Mayfly
Paula Kay Hornick, 82 minutes
Seeking solitude in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, a woman embarks on a solo fly-fishing trip to prove something to herself. But when the wilderness turns against her, her journey becomes an intimate reckoning with survival, memory, and the limits of control.
One Block From Everything
Brandi Patrice Williams, 16 minutes
After a local Memphis DJ’s final shot at freedom is only one block away, a night of robbery, betrayal, and crushing setbacks forces him to survive the longest walk of his life toward a dream that refuses to die.
Opryland USA - A Circle, Broken
Brandon Vestal, 70 minutes
A nostalgic love letter and investigative deep dive into Nashville’s most beloved lost icon and America’s only “show park.” Opryland USA was a cultural landmark that shaped Nashville’s identity and put Nashville on the global map. Its sudden controversial closure continues to spark strong emotions nearly three decades later.
OYE, WE'RE FROM HERE TOO
James Chaney, Arturo Garibay, 15 minutes
Through small yet meaningful anecdotes and reflections, a handful of individual voices come together to form a collective narrative that speaks to the everyday lives and challenges of Latinos who have grown up in the contemporary US South.
Regret to Inform You
Daniel G. Johnson, 10 minutes
A woman takes part in a job interview.
Snack Trapped
Austin Stephens, 2 minutes
Never touch the snacks.
The Name Game
Eli Heaton, 14 minutes
Determined to reveal a dark family secret to Jerron, Charlotte plays the cursed name-chanting game her grandmother swore off in the 1950s South.
there's evil here.
Maxwell S. Duryea, 9 minutes
Just named the first city in North America to be designated a National Park City, Chattanooga, Tennessee is a southern paradise for adrenaline junkies and first-time home buyers. While the parents tuck their kids in, a first date is blossoming downtown, and police officers change shifts, so does the sun. Calling it a day and peeking over the horizon the empty streets, motels, and truck stops also change shifts—into an ongoing epidemic: sex trafficking.
This Film Deserves to Name Itself
Katie Emler, 7 minutes
An unnamed protagonist is confronted by their own self-hatred made manifest, and must overcome it in an attempt to accept themself.
Three Step
Madison Cooper, Maggie Baldwin, Mars Alcantar, McKeely Crouch, 5 minutes
Rob and Mags, a young man and woman, meet during a swing dance night at their local dance club. The two of them fall deeply in love and begin “dancing through life” together. However, as time passes, the rhythm between them is drowned out by the demands of everyday life‚ long work hours, an ever-growing list of chores, and the arrival of a new baby. They begin to drift apart, unsure if they’ll ever rediscover the harmony that first brought them together.
Vol State 500k
Ava Cavasos, 72 minutes
129 ordinary people dare to achieve the extraordinary on a 314-mile journey across the state of Tennessee, relying solely on local Volunteer State communities for aid.
Wet Floor
Veronica Killeffer, 12 minutes
Two bored restaurant servers get more excitement than they bargained for when their most annoying regular customer turns out to be a zombie leading an undead horde during the final minutes of their shift.
VIP and Full Festival Passes for 2026 FILM FEST KNOX are on sale now, with additional ticket options available closer to the festival. More details on FILM FEST KNOX will be provided throughout 2026 at FilmFestKnox.com. Follow FILM FEST KNOX on Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT FILM FEST KNOX
Launched in 2023 as an initiative of the Visit Knoxville Film Office, FILM FEST KNOX is an annual film festival held every fall in downtown Knoxville, with screenings hosted at the Regal Riviera in partnership with Regal and The Public Cinema. FILM FEST KNOX showcases and advocates for personal, ambitious regional cinema by featuring the American Regional Cinema Competition, the Made in Tennessee Competition, the Elev8or Pitch Competition, and other programming and social events. FILM FEST KNOX has been twice recognized by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.” For more information, go to FilmFestKnox.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
