I’m so grateful to have one more year in the books at CFF. And what a year it was! I scoured through so much diverse content, but here are my favorites from the 2022 festival.

“Cruise,” “Exo Sapien,” “Smile,” “Sucker,” and “Red Is the Color of Beauty”

We’re coming at you fresh out of the Chattanooga Film Fest 2022, ghouls. Corie and Sarah, hosts of Gag Me With a Chainsaw, help us wrap up another year of dark, weird, devastating and hilarious indie features and shorts.

Ashley Anderson says the relatability of receiving unwanted spam calls creates the uncertain potential for Cruise’s realism.

Rudycoff’s film is a seven-minute exercise in tension as call after call brings our protagonist closer to literal termination.

Shorts are important at any film fest.