Coachella sues 'Filmchilla,' demanding name change. The response? 'Make me.'

An upstart festival is about to learn the hard way what happens when you get too close to the big guy's brand.

Filmchilla, a small, outdoor film festival planned in Joshua Tree next month was sued Tuesday by the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and its parent company, Goldenvoice, which claims the names of the festivals are too similar.

When reached for comment on Tuesday evening, Filmchilla organizer Trevor Simms said he didn't know he had been sued.

“They are going for it, huh?” Simms said. “I had no idea you could trademark the suffix of a geographical location.”

Apparently, you can. Goldenvoice has trademarked multiple aspects of its name and logo, including the suffix "chella", and as the festival has grown, the company has fiercely defended the trademark in court. Last year, Goldenvoice sued another music festival, originally called “Hoodchella,” forcing it to rename itself to “Noise in the Hood.”

Filmchilla may not give up so easy. Simms was adamant that he did not want to change the name.

“I think they are going to have to make me,” he said.

Filmchila, scheduled for Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, has been advertised online as a “drive-in style" film festival held "under the stars" at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. About 30 films were chosen from more than 800 submissions. Tickets, which are on sale now, start at $30.

The event was originally named Filmchella — not ‘chilla — but Simms changed the name after he was first approached by Goldenvoice’s attorneys earlier this summer. Some portions of the festival website still show the old name, but even if it didn’t, Goldenvoice argues in its lawsuit that the “single-letter change is insufficient to dispel any consumer confusion.”

Goldenvoice did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Reporter Bruce Fessier contributed to this story.