KNOXVILLE, TN (December 4, 2025) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Visit Knoxville celebrates the success of its third annual film festival, FILM FEST KNOX, held in partnership with Regal on November 6–9, 2025, at the downtown Knoxville Regal Riviera. Winners from various categories at FILM FEST KNOX are announced.
“Now in its third year, FILM FEST KNOX continues to be a model for what a small regional festival should be,” writes critic Alex Fields in In Review Online, “combining highlights from the year’s art cinema, restorations and experimental programs, a main competition with serious but low-profile feature films, and professional opportunities for local filmmakers and short films.”
FILM FEST KNOX allows local filmmakers and the Visit Knoxville Film Office to network with visiting producers and directors who make regional films, with the intent of recruiting them to consider Knoxville for future projects. The festival also offers an opportunity for festival-goers to experience eclectic and powerful programming, carefully curated by Darren Hughes of The Public Cinema and Artistic Director for FILM FEST KNOX. Darren and his colleague, Paul Harrill, both FILM FEST KNOX Co-Founders alongside Kim Bumpas and Curt Willis, were integral to the success of this event.
“It was another incredible year for FILM FEST KNOX. Watching all of the great films and meeting the talented filmmakers make this event so special,” said Curt Willis, Sr. Director of the Visit Knoxville Film Office. “Year three was the best yet, and I can’t wait for next year.”
Awards were given in the following categories: the American Regional Cinema Competition, the Made in Tennessee Competition, and the Elev8or Pitch competition. FILM FEST KNOX awarded a total of $21,000 in cash prizes to the talented winners.
AMERICAN REGIONAL CINEMA COMPETITION
The American Regional Cinema Competition is a showcase of the diversity of personal and ambitious filmmaking happening outside of the traditional industry capitals of Los Angeles and New York City. This category included five feature films: Bird in Hand, Charliebird, Mouse, Other Houses, and Tropical Park. The Best Film winner will receive an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run, courtesy of Regal.
The jury of the American Regional Cinema Competition included Bedatri D. Choudhury, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Arts and Entertainment Editor; James M. Johnson, producer for The Old Man & The Gun and co-founder of Sailor Bear; and Ryan Krivoshey, founder of Grasshopper Film.
Best Film – Mouse (Dir. Kenny Riches)
Best Director – Other Houses (Dir. S. Cagney Gentry & Thomas Southerland)
Jury Prize – Tropical Park (Dir. Hansel Porras Garcia)
On behalf of the jury, Bedatri Choudhury writes, “FILM FEST KNOX is one of the best festivals I've been to. The hospitality of the organizers is unparalleled, as was the programming. The range and talent in the American Regional Cinema competition made it extremely difficult for the jury to zero in on a winner. The best cinema is happening outside of the pockets of New York and LA. The competition was a true testament to that."
Kenny Riches, the writer, director, and lead actor in Mouse adds: “Beyond enjoying the charming city of Knoxville and meeting the attending filmmakers and community, as well as the amazing staff and programming team, I was truly inspired by the thoughtful curation of the films at FILM FEST KNOX. I can see why the festival is quickly establishing itself as a leading platform for region-specific work. The ten-city Oscar-qualifying theatrical prize given to the winner of Best Film, made possible by their partnership with Regal Cinemas, is without a doubt the most exciting and impactful prize we've ever received from a film festival. It will completely change the trajectory of our film distribution and for that I am forever grateful to Regal and FILM FEST KNOX.”
MADE IN TENNESSEE COMPETITION
The Made in Tennessee Competition included two feature films: The Easy Kind and A Long Hard Streak. Additionally, this category was comprised of 17 shorts: The Great Star Caper; Bone, Monumental; Loveseat; Echoes; I’m Not Sure About This; Lavender Fields Forever; People, People, People!; Feed; Deep Space; Born Secret; Attenuation; Hang On, Little Tomato; Two Months; Clocks, Time, and You!; Take and Drink; and The Recluse.
The jury of the Made in Tennessee Competition included Vera Brunner-Sung, director of Bitterroot; Ashton Campbell, Festival Director of the Oak Cliff Film Festival; and Kelsey Taylor, winner of FILM FEST KNOX’s 2024 American Regional Cinema Competition with her debut feature, To Kill a Wolf.
Best Film – Born Secret (Dir. Riley Fitchpatrick)
Best Director – The Easy Kind (Dir. Katy Chevigny)
Jury Prize – A Long Hard Streak (Dir. Scott Rabideau)
Honorable Mention – People, People, People! (Dir. Emily Steele)
“It was a true pleasure to return to Knoxville this year as a juror for Made in Tennessee,” says Brunner-Sung. “I saw wonderful films that deepened my understanding of the state, its people, and its history—and, most of all, the rich local film scene. There’s so much creative talent here, and it’s really exciting to see the ways the festival is working to support and invest in artists. For those of us who work regionally, it’s vital.”
THE ELEV8OR PITCH COMPETITION
The Elev8or Pitch Competition included 20 film submissions. The top eight teams had their films screened, followed by their one-minute pitch in front of a live audience and panel of judges. This included the following films: All Endless Things, All These Pieces, Getaway, The Mountains are Calling, Pink Sync, Sleeping Princess, Static Skies, and Used to Be. The top three winners will participate in a development lab with Paul Harrill and other industry professionals.
The jury of the Elev8or Pitch Competition included Paul Harrill, Co-Chair of the University of Tennessee Cinema Studies program and one of FILM FEST KNOX’s Co-Founders; Kristin Shrader, independent awards consultant for Netflix and other studios; Neil Creque Williams, producer of Miss Juneteenth; and Brandon Colvin, winner of Best Director at FILM FEST KNOX 2024 for The World Drops Dead.
First Place – Sleeping Princess (Dir. Callie Bacon)
Second Place – Pink Sync (Dir. Eli Heaton)
Third Place – Used to Be (Dir. Matt Webb)
On behalf of the jury, Kristin Schrader writes, “Every year the Elev8tor Pitch competition talent levels up. I love seeing new and familiar faces and names on screen and in the credits year after year. The shared support in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the theater on competition night are inspiring. It’s like this community is building itself in real-time, and I’m privileged to have a front row seat.”
“FILM FEST KNOX has been crucial in getting my work seen by other talented filmmakers and industry professionals from across the country,” writes Eli Heaton, director of Pink Sync and producer of Sleeping Princess. Aside from having great taste, the programmers at FILM FEST KNOX curate personal and ambitious cinema so that when your film screens here, it means something.”
“FILM FEST KNOX now has national recognition, and in its third year, it has continued to grow into an event that we can take pride in,” said Kim Bumpas, President of Visit Knoxville. “Working with Regal and The Public Cinema has created a dynamic partnership that results in a film festival that is putting the spotlight on Knoxville.”
2026 FILM FEST KNOX is confirmed for November, with specific dates yet to be announced. Follow FILMFESTKNOX.com and Facebook and Instagram for future announcements.
ABOUT REGAL
Regal operates one of the largest and most geographically diverse theatre circuits in the United States, consisting of 5,565 screens in 409 theatres in 41 states along with the District of Columbia and Guam as of April 30, 2025. Regal is focused on delivering the best moviegoing experience by providing our guests with the largest selection of premium large formats (including 4DX, IMAX, RPX, and ScreenX), the only unlimited subscription program, and enhanced food and beverage offerings to make every visit to the theatre a truly memorable experience. Additional information is available online at REGmovies.com.
ABOUT THE PUBLIC CINEMA
The Public Cinema was created to share vital works of contemporary international and American cinema—works that might otherwise be unseen or overlooked by Knoxville audiences. Most of the films screened are discoveries from the festival circuit; many are Tennessee or regional premieres. Whatever is screened, the only agenda is to create a space for cinema as an art form and to promote discussion among discerning moviegoers. For more information visit publiccinema.org.
ABOUT THE VISIT KNOXVILLE FILM OFFICE
The Visit Knoxville Film Office serves to strengthen Knoxville’s economy through the promotion of the city as a premiere filming location. By attracting motion media companies to Knoxville through the marketing of its locations, accommodations, services, crew, and talent, the Film Office fosters the creation of jobs in the area, stimulates business opportunities, and generates exposure. Knoxville has five times been named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker. Additionally, through the Visit Knoxville Film Office’s support, FILM FEST KNOX has already been recognized among the “50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker Magazine. For more information visit filmknoxvilletn.com and follow on Facebook.
