Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm) returns for its 54th annual event from September 28 – October 4, 2023, with film screenings, post-film Q&As with filmmakers, industry panels, live music showcases, social events and more. This year, an expanded offering of film screenings are slated to take place at several arts venues throughout the area, including the historic Belcourt Theater, Regal Green Hills, the Franklin Theatre, Vanderbilt’s Rothschild Black Box Theater and Sarratt Cinema.
As a globally recognized organization and cultural event presenting the best in world cinema, filmmakers from across the country and around the world will head to Nashville to showcase more than 125 film screenings of feature-length and short films across every genre, including independent films and documentaries by veteran masters, up-and-coming directors and first-time filmmakers. To further embrace the reputation of Music City, the festival has also introduced a new music video category for the 2023 event.
“We are proud to bring an unforgettable experience celebrating the innovation and immense talent of the filmmakers, screenwriters and music makers of our global and local arts landscape,” said Nashville Film Festival Executive Director Jason Padgitt. “With over fifty years of sharing films with Nashville audiences, we are excited to continue building a community of film lovers in some of the most impressive venues throughout the area.”
As one of the country’s longest-running film festivals, each year the Nashville Film Festival discovers, elevates and honors filmmakers, screenwriters and musicians from Tennessee and around the world while engaging, connecting and strengthening the Nashville community.
Beyond the traditional film festival, in partnership with the Catalyst Story Institute of Nashville, the NashFilm Episodic Competition will launch this year, a two-day showcase of the best in independent television, podcasts, and web series which will be screened in Pitch World during the festival (September 28 – October 4). The competition aims to champion episodic storytellers of all career levels as they develop their stories and advance their careers while lowering the barriers between creators, producers, and the industry.
“We’re excited to present a vibrant line-up of films to audiences right here in Tennessee as part of the 2023 festival,” said Director of Programming Lauren Thelen. “With new competitions and categories, we’re continuously working to provide the community with more diverse programming and perspectives across a variety of genres.”
NashFilm will host events and programs that highlight the many aspects of filmmaking, including: a Screenwriting Competition (September 28-October 4); a Music Supervisors Program (music industry panels and workshops – September 28-October 2); the Creators Conference (film and music industry panels – September 29 – October 2); and live music performances and new artist showcases throughout the week.
Additional films, programs and special events will continue to be announced throughout the summer. The full slate of films and programs selected for the 54th Nashville Film Festival will be announced in August.