Much like many other fests that were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Chattanooga Film Festival was originally slated for April 16-19, 2020 but had to be called off.

Now, with everyone scrambling to adjust to the new normal, Chattanooga Film Festival has been offered an exciting opportunity to work with Microsoft and its partners MediaKind, Evergent, VisualOn and Slalom, to present a full, four-day interactive, virtual version of the physical festival, targeted for mid-May.

The press release explains that this unique event “will provide attendees with the ability to connect, discuss and network in real time while enjoying the Chattanooga Film Festival’s features, shorts, panels and live events by using communications and media technology in new collaborative ways.”

For an understanding of how this will work, films will only be accessible during the festival’s four days. The festival’s feature and short films will be streamed through MediaKind’s MediaFirst TV Platform hosted on Azure.

“Microsoft Teams live events will power post-film Q&As, panels, and live events. Supported by integrations with Evergent and VisualOn, the film community and cinephiles in the United States will be able to purchase badges that allow them access the event from any device and interact with up and coming filmmakers and respected industry experts.”

Access is LIMITED with virtual badges being capped at 30,000 attendees and are available from $10 for one-day access, $30 for full four-day access, and VIP access for $100. The VIP pass will allow folks to gain access to a few additional titles and provide the opportunity to give extra support to the festival and the filmmakers.

“The Chattanooga Film Festival’s programming will have exciting world premieres, lovingly curated cult classics and everything in between,” promises the press release. “In addition to their signature film programming, the Chattanooga Film Festival is planning an eclectic array of live events to replicate the experience of their festival. An official lineup will be released in the coming weeks, along with official dates.”

To sign up to be notified when official dates are announced and when you can purchase virtual badges, head to chattfilmfest.org.