The Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm), held annually in Nashville, Tennessee, was established in 1969. It is the longest-running film festival in the American South and among the oldest in the United States.[1]
In 2024, the festival received more than 3,800 submissions from over 100 countries and programmed 183 films. Attendance has grown to nearly 15,000.
The festival offers 15 film competition categories, with Academy Award qualifying status in the narrative, documentary, and animated short categories,[2] as well as Screenwriting and Pitch Competitions. In addition to seven days of film screenings, the festival provides industry panels, networking events, music showcases, parties and receptions.[3]
Program and focus
The Nashville Film Festival showcases feature films, short films, music videos, and episodic projects from across the globe, with specific competition categories for Tennessee and student filmmakers. The program highlights many genres, including narrative, documentary, music documentary, drama, comedy, experimental, animation, and horror.
Because Nashville is known as "Music City," a major focus of the festival is music programming. In addition to unique competition categories like Music Documentary Features and Music Videos, NashFilm presents showcases, workshops, and other events bringing songwriters, composers, and music industry professionals together with filmmakers to promote collaboration.[4]
In addition to producing the annual festival, NashFilm is a 501(c)(3) arts advocacy organization that serves the local community through year-round programs, including film education screenings for public school students, a summer film camp for high schoolers, and free outdoor film screenings for locals.
History
Founder Mary Jane Coleman began the Sinking Creek Film Celebration in East Tennessee in 1969.[1] The festival was later moved to Nashville. In 1998, the name was changed to the Nashville Independent Film Festival and shortened to Nashville Film Festival in 2003. It is currently held across seven days in September at venues across Nashville.
Reception
The festival was voted as one of the "50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" by MovieMaker in 2015,[5] 2024,[6] and 2025[7] and by Dread Central as one of "The 90 Best Genre Film Festivals on Earth" in 2025.[8]
Winners
Narrative Competition
Graveyard Shift Competition
Documentary Competition
| Tennessee Independent Spirit Award for the Best Feature-Length Film Directed By a Tennessee Resident
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2009
|
Make-utu with Violence
|
The Deagol Brothers
|
| 2008
|
Sons of Lwala
|
Barry Simmons
|
| 2007
|
Adrenaline
|
Robert S. Lynn
|
| 2006
|
Chances: The Women of Magdalene
|
Tom Neff
|
| 2005
|
Cowboy Jack's Home Movies (or, Shakespeare was a big George Jones fan)
|
Robert Gordon, Morgan Neville
|
| 2004
|
The Royal Academy
|
Tony Cane-Honeysett
|
Shorts
| Best Narrative Short
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2015
|
Daytimer
|
Riz Ahmed
|
| 2014
|
Rhino Full Throttle
|
Erik Schmitt
|
| 2013
|
Hatch
|
Christoph Kuschnig
|
| 2012
|
Curfew
|
Shawn Christensen
|
| 2011
|
Mary Last Seen
|
Sean Durkin
|
| 2010
|
The Armoire
|
Jamie Travis
|
| 2009
|
Next Floor
|
Denis Villeneuve
|
| 2008
|
I love Sarah Jane
|
Spencer Susser
|
| 2007
|
The Last Dog in Rwanda
|
Jens Assur
|
| 2006
|
Doll no. 639
|
Andras György Desi
|
| 2005
|
In the morning
|
Danielle Lurie
|
| 2004
|
Deep Silence
|
Gustavo Loza
|
| Best Documentary Short
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2015
|
La Vie en rose comme dans les films
|
Christophe M. Saber
|
| 2014
|
The Last Days of Peter Bergmann
|
Ciaran Cassidy
|
| 2013
|
A Story for the Modlins
|
Sergio Oksman
|
| 2012
|
Meaning of Robots
|
Matt Lenski
|
| 2011
|
Bye Bye Now!
|
Aideen O'Sullivan
|
| 2010
|
Q&A
|
The Rauch Brothers
|
| 2009
|
The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306
|
Adam Pertofsky
|
| 2008
|
My olympic summer
|
Daniel Robin
|
| 2007
|
Fighting Cholitas
|
Mariam Jobrani
|
| 2006
|
The Tribe
|
Tiffany Shlain
|
| 2005
|
Small Town Secrets
|
Katherine Legget
|
| 2004
|
African American
|
Askia Holloway
|
| Best Experimental Short
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2015
|
(null)
|
Michael Lange, David Gesslbauer
|
| 2014
|
Confessions With an Open Curtain
|
Eli Cortinas
|
| 2013
|
Workers Leaving the Factory (Again)
|
Katharina Gruzei
|
| 2012
|
All the Lines Flow Out
|
Charles Lim
|
| 2011
|
All Flowers in Time
|
Jonathan Caouette
|
| 2010
|
Feeder
|
Joseph Ernst
|
| 2009
|
Hallelujah! Gorilla revival
|
Jason LaRay Keener, Jeremiah Ledbetter
|
| 2008
|
SEVILLA → ∞ 06
|
Olivo Barbieri
|
| 2007
|
3 Minutes
|
Christopher Brunner
|
| 2006
|
Careless Reef - Abu Kifan
|
Gerard Holthuis
|
| 2005
|
Layette
|
Ariana Gerstein
|
| 2004
|
Papillon d'amour
|
Nicolas Provost
|
| Golden Opportunity Award for Best College Student Short
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2015
|
Wire Cutters
|
Jack Anderson
|
| 2014
|
The Pink Helmet Posse
|
Kristelle Laroche & Benjamin Mullincosson
|
| 2013
|
I Think This is the Closest to How the Footage Looked
|
Yuval Hameiri
|
| 2012
|
Bian Zi
|
Chun-Yi Hsieh
|
| 2011
|
Deeper Than Yesterday
|
Ariel Kleeman
|
| 2010
|
The City in the Sky
|
Giacomo Climini
|
| 2009
|
Walnut
|
Amy Gebhardt
|
| 2008
|
The Execution of Solomon Harris
|
Wyatt Garfield & Ed Yonaitis
|
| 2007
|
Bitch
|
Lilah Vandenburgh
|
| 2006
|
Lucky
|
Avie Luthra
|
| 2005
|
Victoria para Chino
|
Cary Fukunaga
|
| 2004
|
Savior
|
Erla Skuladottir
|
| Best College Student Animation
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2007
|
The Wraith of Cobble Hill
|
Adam Parrish King
|
| 2006
|
She She She She's a Bombshell
|
Ben Levin
|
| 2005
|
Backseat Bingo
|
Liz Blazer
|
| 2004
|
Pedantphilia
|
Sandra Cheng
|
| Best Young Filmmaker
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2009
|
Eye for an eye
|
Arni Beinteinn Arnason
|
| 2008
|
Western spaghetti
|
Joseph Procopio
|
| 2007
|
Drive
|
Joseph Procopio
|
| 2006
|
Shoes
|
Jake Sawyer
|
| 2005
|
And then everything I saw, I liked
|
Ariel Jackson, Ashley Rutledge, Emily Brisbon
|
| 2004
|
Jai-Yen: Cool Heart
|
Daniel Howard
|
| Tennessee Independent Spirit Award for the Best Short-Form Directed By a Tennessee Resident
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2009
|
Jennifer
|
Stewart Copeland
|
| 2008
|
Blindsided
|
Drew Langer
|
Music videos
| Best Music Video by a Nashville Filmmaker
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2007
|
You don't know me
|
Jason Satterlund
|
| 2006
|
Apparitions of melody - Kids in the way
|
Blake McClure & The Brads
|
| 2005
|
When I think about cheatin'
|
Robert Deaton, George Flanigen & Marc Oswald
|
| Best Music Video by a Non-Nashville Filmmaker
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2007
|
Jumbo in the modernworld
|
minivegas
|
| 2006
|
When in Rome
|
Nickel Creek, Dir. Dean Karr
|
| 2005
|
Whiskey Lullaby
|
Rick Schroder
|
| Best use of coffee in a scene
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2004
|
Mother May-o
|
Wes Edwards
|
Special
| Nashville Public Television (NPT) Human Spirit Award
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2009
|
Crude
|
Joe Berlinger
|
| 2008
|
Sons of Lwala
|
Barry Simmons
|
| 2007
|
The Clinton 12
|
Keith McDaniel
|
| Lonely Seal Releasing Feature Film Award
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2008
|
Eden court
|
Paul Leuer
|
| Best Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgendered (GLBT) Film Award
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2009
|
The Baby Formula
|
Alison Reid
|
| 2008
|
Were the World Mine
|
Tom Gustafson
|
| The Manual
|
Sophie Gregg
|
| Best Hispanic Filmmaker Award
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2009
|
Hands of Abel
|
Victor Barcena
|
| Women In Film & Television Award For Best Film Directed By A Woman
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2009
|
Shakespeare and Victor Hugo's intimacies
|
Yulene Olaizola
|
| 2008
|
Taking root: the vision of Wangari Maathai
|
Lisa Merton & Alan Dater
|
| Best Cinematography in a Feature Film
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2009
|
Seamus Tierney, the Narrows
|
Francois Velle
|
| 2008
|
Tracing Cowboys
|
David Morrison
|
| 2007
|
The hip hop project
|
Ari Issler and Matt Ruskin
|
| Special Jury Prize for Acting Ensemble
|
| Year
|
Winner
|
Film
|
| 2009
|
cast of Children of Invention
|
Children of Invention
|
| Special Jury Prize for Experimental Narrative
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2009
|
Afterschool
|
Antonio Campos
|
| Special Jury Prize for Bravery in Storytelling
|
| Year
|
Film
|
Director
|
| 2009
|
Prodigal Sons
|
Kimberly Reed
|
| Coleman Sinking Creek Award
|
| Year
|
Winner
|
| 2009
|
Les Blank
|
2010 Nashville Film Festival Awards
In 2010 edition, the following prizes have been assigned.[9]
Features
| Category
|
Winner
|
Movie
|
| Bridgestone Narrative Competition Grand Jury Prize |
Valeriy Todorovskiy |
Hipsters
|
| Bridgestone Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor in Narrative Feature |
Anton Shagin |
Hipsters
|
| Bridgestone Grand Jury Prize for Best Actress in Narrative Feature |
Paprika Steen |
Applause
|
| Southwest Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature |
Radu Mihaileanu |
The Concert
|
| Documentary Channel Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature |
Marshall Curry |
Racing Dreams
|
| Documentary Channel Audience Award for Best Documentary |
Jim Bigham |
For Once in My Life
|
| Leanne Pooley |
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
|
| New Directors Competition Grand Jury Prize |
Michael Mohan |
One Too Many Mornings
|
| New Directors Competition Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor |
Anthony Deptula |
One Too Many Mornings
|
| New Directors Competition Grand Jury Prize for Best Actress |
Eileen Nicholas |
Bomber
|
| Gibson Impact of Music Award |
Jim Bigham |
For Once in My Life
|
| Naxos Award for Best Music in A Feature Film |
Konstantin Meladze |
Hipsters
|
| Ground Zero Tennessee Spirit Award for Best Feature |
Brent Stewart |
The Colonel's Bride
|
| Bridgestone Narrative Competition Grand Jury Prize - Honorable Mention |
Bruce Webb |
The Be All and End All
|
| Documentary Channel Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature - Honorable Mention |
Taggart Siegel |
Queen of the Sun
|
| New Directors Grand Jury Prize - Honorable Mention |
Paul Cotter |
Bomber
|
| Gibson Impact of Music Award - Honorable Mention |
Bruce Bryant |
For the Sake of the Song: The Story of Anderson Fair
|
| Bridgestone Narrative Competition Grand Jury Prize - Honorable Mention |
Bruce Webb |
The Be All and End All
|
Shorts
| Category
|
Winner
|
Movie
|
| Ground Zero Tennessee Spirit Award for Best Narrative Short |
Clay Jeter |
5 Dollars
|
| Ground Zero Tennessee Spirit Award for Best Documentary Short |
Jonathan Epstein |
I Am A Man: from Memphis, A Lesson in Life
|
| Documentary Channel Award for Best Short Documentary |
Tim Rauch and Mike Rauch |
Q&A
|
| Documentary Channel Award for Best Short Documentary - Honorable Mention |
T.G. Herrington |
Mr. Okra
|
| Vanderbilt Golden Opportunity Award for Best College Student Short |
Giacomo Cimini |
The City in the Sky
|
| Vanderbilt Golden Opportunity Award for Best College Student Short - Honorable Mention |
Michael Rochford |
Carpet Kingdom
|
| Best Animated Short |
Chris Landreth |
The Spine
|
| Best Animated Short - Honorable Mention |
Nick Cross |
Yellow Cake
|
| Best Experimental Short |
Joseph Ernst |
Feeder
|
| Best Live Action Short |
Jamie Travis |
The Armoire
|
| Best Live Action Short - Honorable Mention |
Roland Honeycutt Jr. |
Dwight David Honeycutt for Conway School Board
|
| Best Young Filmmaker |
Edward Heffernan |
The Letter
|
Special
References
External links
