Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Rogers
Hi Christopher , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2018 our sketch comedy group, Knox By Night, entered a comedy short film competition in Asheville, NC. We didn’t win, but we brought back the idea for The Knoxville Comedy Film Festival and held our first event in 2019. Adding to the handful of local film festivals the town already hosts, we decided to make our festival a bi-annual event.
The first event in 2019 was held at Central Cinema to a sold out crowd. In 2021 we held the festival at Halls Cinema 7. 2023 saw the return to Central Cinema and this year we are hosting the event at The Historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge, TN.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Our events have gone pretty smoothly for the most part. We have a great film community in East Tennessee with many willing to lend a hand. We have been fortunate to have been able to have some great local businesses sponsor us over the years so we have been able to give away cash prizes and not charge submission fees to our filmmakers and free admission to attendees.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We are happy to be able to have local businesses to sponsor the event. With their support, we have always been able to avoid submission fees for filmmakers to submit their films and not have to charge admission for attendees to the event, something other film festivals don’t offer.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Some of my favorite childhood memories were of spending time with my father watching films. He loved comedy and introduced me to to the classics. He loved Saturday Night Live and we would stay up every Saturday to watch it. That exposure eventually led me to start my sketch comedy group, Knox By Night.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knoxcomedyfilmfest?igsh=eTk3bnUzY2VwbzA=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knoxcomedyfilmfest?mibextid=ZbWKwL
