Nashville Film Festival Returns With Full Week Of Programming

NASHVILLE (Sept. 29, 2022) — The Nashville Film Festival opens Thursday, featuring more than 50 screenings at venues across the city. Many features will mark their U.S. premieres at the fest, with events scheduled at the historic Belcourt and Franklin Theatres, along with the Tennessee Performing Arts Center®. Virtual options will also be available for select titles.

This year’s lineup features a diverse mix of lighthearted comedies, socially-conscious documentaries and even spooky selections to suit the season. The festival also pays tribute to its setting by featuring local filmmakers and music-inspired narratives.

“My programming team and I have put together a highly curated and eclectic mix of films from over 30 countries with more than half of our official selections directed or produced by women,” Director of Programming Lauren Ponto said.

Tickets are on-sale now for in-person screenings at https://nashvillefilmfestival.org/. Here’s Patch’s quick guide to some of the most anticipated events of the week:

THE RETURN OF TANYA TUCKER
One of several music-inspired titles premiering at the festival, this documentary follows Brandi Carlisle’s journey of writing a full album for her country music hero. Tucker and director Kathlyn Horan will attend tonight’s premiere at the Belcourt Theatre.

URBAN RETAIL SPACE AVAILABLE
Kristina Juodenas will attend a screening of her short film, which features “a dreamlike monochrome journey through Nashville’s rapidly changing urban landscape.”

The festival continues its tradition of supporting homegrown talent, screening seven feature-length selections with ties to Tennessee. Others include "Show Business is My Life, But I Can't Prove It" and Memphis-set "Jacir". "I Can Feel You Walking" is set at a south Nashville duplex, and a full slate of Tennessee shorts will be screened in-person and online.

OUTTA THE MUCK
Director Ira McKinley joins the fest to share his story of traveling back home to Pahokee, Florida in this personal documentary. Co-directed by Bhawin Suchak, the film spans generations of one family and “forges its own unique narrative of Black achievement.”

SERIOUSLY RED
Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale play supporting roles in the story of a woman who leaves behind her full-time job to become a Dolly Parton impersonator.

Music is once again a central theme of the festival, a planned tribute to Oscar-winning songwriter Diane Warren and a “Dirty Dancing” retrospective screening. Documentaries “Meet Me In The Bathroom” and “Immediate Family” all feature music-centric narratives, along with “And Still I Sing.” Closing Night selection “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues” also honors its titular “world-changing musician.”

UNEXPECTED
Executive producer Patricia Heaton will visit the Franklin Theatre to premiere her feature comedy “Unexpected,” directed by David B. Hunt. Based on the Bob Tarte book "Enslaved By Ducks," Anna Camp and Joe Mazzello star as a married couple who take an unconventional path to starting a family. Heaton, Hunt, Camp and Mazzello are scheduled to attend the Sunday screening.

STILL WORKING 9 TO 5
This new documentary examines gender inequality in the workplace more than 40 years after the release of the groundbreaking movie “9 to 5.” Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin revisit the film along with other industry titans. Producers Gary Lane and Larry Lane will attend the screening in Franklin.

OLD FRIENDS
Filmmaker Gordon Berchard follows the evolution of a longtime animal shelter in this “dogumentary.” Featuring the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary in Mount Juliet, “Old Friends” tells another Tennessee “tail.” (I’m sorry.)

THE LIGHT WE SHARE
A nonprofit dance company in Chattanooga must pivot to create a “visual album” in this 57-minute film, screening Tuesday at the Belcourt Theatre. Directors Jules Downum and Mattie Waters will be the event's featured guests.