Following its inaugural edition last year, Knoxville, Tennessee’s FILM FEST KNOX returns for its second year from November 14 to 17. Here are the five films announced for this year’s American Regional Cinema Competition, the winner of which will receive an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run in Regal Entertainment’s cinemas. From the press release: 

The directors of the competition films—Vera Brunner-Sung, Tracie Laymon, Nicholas Colia, Brandon Colvin, and Kelsey Taylor—will be in attendance, along with additional cast and crew, who will introduce the films, participate in Q&As, and discuss the current state and future of regional cinema. Collectively, these filmmakers have screened at many of the world’s premiere festivals, including Sundance, South by Southwest, Tribeca, Rotterdam, Edinburgh, San Francisco, Indie Lisboa, and Melbourne.

Bitterroot (Dir. Vera Brunner-Sung)

92 minutes – Drama

Reeling from a failed marriage and in need of comfort and a new perspective, a middle-aged man takes care of his aging mother within the deceptively tranquil landscape of rural Montana. Shot in Missoula, Montana. 2024 Special Jury Mention Winner for Cinematography in a U.S. Feature and Nominee Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature and at its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Starring Wa Yang, Qu Kue, and April Charlo.

Bob Trevino Likes It (Dir. Tracie Laymon)

102 minutes – Comedy, Drama

When lonely 20-something Lily Trevino accidentally befriends a stranger online who shares the same name as her own self-centered father, encouragement and support from this new Bob Trevino could change her life. Inspired by a true story. Shot in Louisville, Kentucky. Winner of the Grand Jury Award and Audience Award for Narrative Feature at 2024 SXSW Film Festival; Starring Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria), John Leguizamo (John Wick, Moulin Rouge, Encanto), and French Stewart (3^rd Rock from the Sun).

Griffin in Summer (Dir. Nicholas Colia)

90 minutes – Comedy

Fourteen-year-old Griffin Nafly is the most ambitious playwright of his generation. But once he meets handsome twenty-five-year-old handyman Brad, his life (and play) will never be the same. Shot in Richmond, Virginia. 2024 Winner Founders Award of Best U.S. Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay for U.S. Narrative Feature, and Special Jury Mention for New Narrative Director Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. Starring Everett Blunck, Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men, Heavenly Creatures), and Owen Teague (NCIS: Los Angeles, It).

The World Drops Dead (Dir. Brandon Colvin)

71 minutes – Drama, Horror

Claire struggles to cope as the shock of her father’s suicide ripples through her small Quaker community. Desperate to reunite with the only person who seemed to understand her, she reaches out to her father across the boundary of death. Shot in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Starring Yumna Jane, Sanam Erfani, and Larry Ratliff.

To Kill a Wolf (Dir. Kelsey Taylor)

92 minutes – Drama, Mystery

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. Shot in Rhododendron, Oregon. Starring Maddison Brown (Strangerland, Dynasty), Ivan Martin (Ozark, Suits), Michael Esper (Fallout, The Creator) and Kaitlin Doubleday (Catch Me If You Can, Empire).