Macabre Daily Podcast #123 - Chris Dortch (Chattanooga Film Festival) June 2026

The number of genre-focused film festivals seems to be increasing year over year, or at the very least, the ones that exist are getting far more attention than ever before. This is a good problem to have in horror, especially when we are seeing the mainstreaming of the genre (again) thus being one of the best times to take a look at what the future of the genre will look. People like Ari Aster, Jane Schoenbrun, and Demián Rugna are just some of the names of filmmakers who’ve carved out niches for themselves born out of the festival circuit, and its because of events like the Chattanooga Film Festival that they have a chance to not only reach a broader audience, but one that revels in the kind of dark delights they offer. Festival founder and director, Chris Storch, was happy and willing to talk about the festival he’s been running for over 13 years, and let us in on what folks can expect for this year’s festivities both in-person and online. Not only that, Chris describes the ethos of the festival focusing on independent films that don’t have a theatrical release, as well as throwback late night films that have become one of the festival’s premier event. We don’t want to give away all the goods, so you’ll have to listen, and the festival will take place in-person from June 18-21 and virtually from June 19-28. Macabre Daily is a sponsor of this year’s event, and will be holding a Q&A with Emily Bennett after a screening of her film, “Blood Shine.” Get tickets for Chattanooga Film Fest here!