Nashville Film Festival Kicks Off Sept. 30, In-Person And Online

NASHVILLE (Sept. 29, 2021) - The Nashville Film Festival kicks off in Music City this weekend, running from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6. In-person and online options are available for the 52nd annual fest, featuring 45 new feature-length films.

Nearly 30 of the festival selections were created by artists native or local to Tennessee, and several have ties to the music community.

“This year’s content is stronger than ever and very intentionally curated to bring audiences exceptional film and music experiences,” Director of Programming Lauren Ponto said.

Tickets are on sale for in-person screenings at https://nashvillefilmfestival.org/.

For those who can’t participate in person in Nashville, the festival is offering a two-day creative conference online Oct. 1-2, covering diversity in filmmaking, screenwriting, ethics and more topics. Several films can also be streamed via virtual cinema.

If you’re in town this week and want to see some of the festival season’s most talked-about movies, check out these highly-anticipated selections.

BRIAN WILSON: LONG PROMISED ROAD

The opening night selection chronicles the life and work of the titular Beach Boy, “taking viewers on an impressionistic road-trip through his life and music in this intimate and unconventional cinematic memoir.” The film, which will screen at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 30 at Rocketown, “honors the festival’s deep ties to music and the music industry.”

HARD LUCK LOVE SONG

The festival continues to stay true to its musical roots with virtual screenings of “Hard Luck Love Song,” starring Michael Dorman as a downtrodden troubadour who reunites with an old flame (Sophia Bush) before their world is thrown into chaos. This “modern day love story wrapped in a gritty, compelling character study” is inspired by singer-songwriter Todd Snider’s piece “Just Like Old Times.” Residents in certain states can view this title virtually beginning Sept. 30.

THE FIRST STEP

CNN host Van Jones is the subject and heart of this documentary about bringing Americans together in the wake of a controversial criminal justice bill. Screening both in-person on Oct. 2 and online beginning Thursday, director Brandon Kramer’s 90-minute film is a movie for this moment.

THISTLE

Writer-director Ryan Camp takes viewers inside a Nashville recovery community for female survivors in this Tennessee feature, which will screen Oct. 4 at Belmont University.

THE HUMANS

The closing night presentation stars Beanie Feldstein and Amy Schumer as sisters in this adaptation of the Broadway play about an Irish Catholic family with secrets. Playwright Stephen Karam is transitioning his Tony-award winning story to the screen, and will be on hand at the Belcourt Theatre for the festival’s closing night on Oct. 6.

View the full catalogue at https://watch.nashfilm.org/nashfilmfest.