Showcasing and advocating for personal, ambitious regional cinema.
American Regional Cinema Competition
The centerpiece of FILM FEST KNOX is a five-film American Regional Cinema Competition designed to spotlight the diversity and quality of work being made outside of LA and NYC. It is also as an opportunity to bring ten people (two people per film, ideally a director and producer) to town for an end-of-the-year networking event for regional filmmakers. The goal is to showcase five films that represent a variety of regions, genres, and modes of production.
The three award-winning films receive cash prizes, and the Best Film winner receives an Oscar-qualifying run (“seven days, consecutive or non-consecutive, in 10 of the top 50 U.S. markets”) from Regal, FILM FEST KNOX’s presenting sponsor.
2026 Competition
Act One
Dir. by Sophia Takal
An aspiring young actress falls under the spell of a manipulative acting coach who draws her into a web of control and obsession.Nov. 14 · Regal 1 · 9:00 p.m.
Airport BLVD
Dir. by Alejandro Hendricks
Set in East Austin, this jazz-infused musical follows Xavier as he watches his community, friendships, and sense of home disappear.Nov. 14 · Regal 2 · 4:15 p.m.
And Then I Knew ‘Twas Wind
Dir. by Darius Mackenzie
A writer goes missing on a canoe trip with her boyfriend in an area of Oregon known for its fossil record dating back sixty million years.Nov. 14 · Regal 1 · 1:45 p.m.
Ponderosa
Dir. by Rob Rice
When the buffet where Zeke’s mom works closes down, he’s forced to entertain the advances of a regular who is weirdly obsessed with becoming his dad.Nov. 13 · Regal 2 · 5:15 p.m.
The Pirate King
Dir. by Josh Plasse
A veteran with PTSD finds redemption when he joins a group of pirate re-enactors and begins to rebuild the life he thought was lost forever.Nov. 15 · Regal 2 · 1:45 p.m.
2025 Competition
Bird in Hand
Dir. by Melody C. Roscher
A biracial bride-to-be seeks a connection with her charismatic hippie mother, while using her wedding plans to manipulate everyone in her orbit.Nov. 7 · Regal 1 · 6:00 p.m.
Charliebird
Dir. by Libby Ewing
When a music therapist begins working with a unique young patient, she is confronted with her past and what it means to live. Set in a small, rural town in Texas.Nov. 8 · Regal 2 · 5:15 p.m.
Mouse
Dir. by Kenny Riches
A petty thief living with his mother, signs up for a penpal service in hopes of finding a friend, or maybe more. Unfortunately, his penpal has other plans.Nov. 8 · Regal 2 · 7:30 p.m.
Other Houses
Dir. by S. Cagney Gentry and Thomas Southerland
Immigrant Radka Winslow must choose between the American Dream or living a creative life back in Bulgaria.Nov. 8 · Regal 2 · 1:00 p.m.
Tropical Park
Dir. by Hansel Porras Garcia
During a driving lesson, two Cuban siblings -- a newly arrived trans woman and her estranged conservative brother -- face each other for the first time in years.Nov. 9 · Regal 2 · 2:00 p.m.
2024 Competition
Bitterroot
Dir. by Vera Brunner-Sung
Reeling from a failed marriage and in need of a new perspective, a middle-aged man takes care of his aging mother within the deceptively tranquil landscape of rural Montana.Nov. 16 · Regal Riviera · 1:00 p.m.
Bob Trevino Likes It
Dir. by Tracie Laymon
When Lily Trevino accidentally befriends a stranger online who shares the same name as her father, encouragement and support from this new Bob Trevino could change her life.Nov. 16 · Regal Riviera · 5:30 p.m.
Griffin in Summer
Dir. by Nicholas Colia
Griffin Nafly is the most ambitious playwright of his generation. But once he meets handsome handyman Brad, his life (and play) will never be the same.Nov. 15 · Regal Riviera · 6:00 p.m.
The World Drops Dead
Dir. by Brandon Colvin
Desperate to reunite with the only person who seemed to understand her, she reaches out to her father across the boundary of death.Nov. 17 · Regal Riviera · 1:45 p.m.
To Kill a Wolf
Dir. by Kelsey Taylor
In a modern re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood, a social pariah discovers a teenage runaway in the Oregon Wilderness and does his best to help her find a way home.Nov. 16 · Regal Riviera · 8:00 p.m.
2023 Competition
An Evening Song (for three voices)
Dir. by Graham Swon
A writer moves to the Midwest with her novelist husband and they soon find themselves caught in a love triangle with their pious housekeeper.November 11 · Regal Riviera · 12:30 p.m.
Kick Me
Dir. by Gary Huggins
A nightmare comedy about a school counselor whose compassion, generosity and dedication destroy the lives of everyone around him.November 10 · Regal Riviera · 9:45 p.m.
Lousy Carter
Dir. by Bob Byington
After receiving a grim diagnosis, middle-aged literature professor Lousy Carter reevaluates the relationships in his life.November 12 · Regal Riviera · 1:30 p.m.
Mountains
Dir. by Monica Sorelle
A Haitian demolition worker is tasked with dismantling his rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.November 11 · Regal Riviera · 3:15 p.m.
Peak Season
Dir. by Henry Loevner & Steven Kanter
An emotionally adrift young woman forges an unexpected friendship with a wilderness guide when she and her fiancé take a summer holiday.November 10 · Regal Riviera · 5:30 p.m.
