Nashville Film Fest - Music City Goes to the Movies

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Wednesday, 13 April 2011 05:00

Written by L E Shannon

The Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) runs April 14 - 21, 2011 at the Regal Green Hills Stadium 16 in Nashville, Tennessee.  Now in its 42nd year, NaFF is the longest running film festival in the South.

Founded in 1969 by Mary Jane Coleman as the Sinking Creek Film Celebration, the organization’s signature eight-day April festival is now known as the Nashville Film Festival presented by Nissan.

NaFF is a cultural arts institution that inspires, educates and entertains through an annual celebration of the art of motion pictures, year-round events and community outreach. It ranks among the most prestigious, continually garnering accolades and notice from a wide range of entertainment and trade publications.

This year, legendary actor and songwriter Kris Kristofferson receives the Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) 2011 Career Achievement Award.  

The Opening Night film is Bloodworth, directed by Shane Dax Taylor, in which Kristofferson portrays a disgruntled and estranged father and musician returning to his family after a 40-year absence. Also with Val Kilmer, Dwight Yoakam, Frances Conroy, Hillary Duff, Reece Thompson, W. Earl Brown. The director, along with actors Thompson and Brown, are expected to attend.

The Closing Night film is Terri, directed by Azazel Jacobs.  An orphaned, overweight 15-year-old boy in a small town struggles to find acceptance despite being surrounded by bullying peers and indignant adults. When the vice-principal sees a bit of himself in the boy, the two establish a friendship that encourages Terri to realize that life can be enjoyed, not just endured. Starring Jacob Wysocki, John C. Reilly, Creed Bratton, Olivia Crocicchia, Bridger Zadina.

Other films include:

Road to Nowhere
dir. Monte Hellman
A filmmaker is shooting a film based upon a true crime and casts an unknown mysterious young woman bearing a striking resemblance to the femme fatale in the story. He then finds himself drawn into a complex web of intrigue and obsession. With Tygh Runyan, Shannyn Sossamon, Cliff De Young, Waylon Payne. The director, Sossamon and screenwriter Steven Gaydos are expected to attend.

Hellman will receive the 2011 Coleman Sinking Creek Award, named in honor of Nashville Film Festival founder Mary Jane Coleman, and given to a filmmaker to honor significant contributions to independent film. Hellman also was awarded the Golden Lion for career achievement at the 2010 Venice Film Festival.

A sneak preview screening is scheduled of the new documentary Wish Me Away by directors Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf. The film is a personal and intimate look at Chely Wright, the first country music star to come out as openly gay, despite what some people in the industry have referred to as a career-ending decision.

World Premieres:

Good Day For It
dir. Nick Stagliano
A man forced to leave town after crossing the leader of a criminal gang now risks his life to see his daughter. A fateful run-in forces him to choose: abandon his family one more time or face down his past. With Robert Patrick, Hal Holbrook, Lance Henriksen, Kathy Baker.

The Last Ride
dir. Harry Thomason
Inspired by the mysterious final days of Hank Williams' mercurial life, this is a look into the final days of country music legend Hank Williams, and his relationship with the young man hired to drive the troubled star and his Cadillac from Alabama to Ohio in the dead of winter, around New Year's Eve 1952. With Henry Thomas, Kaley Cuoco, Stephen Tobolowsky.  

Take Me Home
dir. Sam Jaeger
Unlicensed NYC cab driver Thom Colvin isn’t having a good day. With her life in ruins, Claire hails Thom’s cab and asks him to take her to see her estranged father -- in California. With Sam Jaeger (Parenthood), Amber Jaeger, Victor Garber, Bree Turner.

The Nothing
dir. Josh Childs
A man awakens in an eerie, ramshackle barn with four strangers, none of whom have any idea where they are or how they got there. The mystery turns to desperation and reflections on life and death, faith and the afterlife. With Jeff Boyet, Jared Carter, Jeremy Childs, Jeff Durham, Shawn Whitsell.

Southeast U.S. Premiere:

Whirligig
dir. Chaz Thorne (Canada)
A series of career disasters leads Nicolas to his retired parents’ home and meets Nina, their new next-door neighbor who is angry with her husband and ready for some excitement. With Gregory Smith, Fiona Highet, Jennifer Overton, Brian Downey.

North American Premiere

Musica Campesina / Country Music
dir. Alberto Fuguet (Chile, USA)
A 30-something Chilean musician arrives in Nashville on a Greyhound bus with little to his name. What will he make of his new life in Music City? With Pablo Cerda, James Cathcart, Cole Kinnear, Elle Long.

Tennessee Premiere

Telstar
dir. Nick Moran (UK)
The directorial debut of actor Nick Moran (Harry Potter, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), Telstar is a music biopic about Joe Meek, the flamboyantly gay, tone deaf songwriter-producer behind the ‘60s hits "Have I the Right," "Just Like Eddie," "Johnny, Remember Me" and "Telstar". With Con O'Neill, Kevin Spacey, Pam Ferris, JJ Field.

Another Earth
dir. Mike Cahill (USA)
An aspiring astrophysicist leans out her car window to see a newly discovered planet and crashes into a family car, killing two. After serving time in prison, she wants to meet the bereaved father to apologize. By this time, the new planet is much closer to and an exact mirror of Earth. With Brit Marling (co-scriptwriter), William Mapother, Jordan Baker, Robin Lord Taylor, Flint Beverage.

Among this year's Graveyard Shift selections:

Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same
dir. Madeleine Olnek
An homage to hand-held cinema, DIY special effects, and those sci-fi movies featured on local late-night TV -- Elvira's Movie Macabre, and the like. Three lesbian aliens have emotions so strong, they’re destroying their home planet’s ozone layer. So they are sent to Earth to have their hearts broken, where they find the "travails of the New York City dating scene to be…well…alien." With Lisa Haas, Susan Ziegler, Jackie Monahan, Cynthia Kaplan, Alex Karpovsky.

Tontine Massacre
dir. Ezna Sands
In 2007, a new reality show called Tontine held a nationwide search for people willing to risk their life savings for a chance to win $10 million, and 15 contestants were chosen and brought to a remote location in Fiji. But the show then mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind only vague rumors of a tragedy on-set. Now, four years later, the film reveals exclusive footage of the eerie, explosive events that may have unfolded after disaster struck their deserted island. Or did they? Blair Witch: Fiji Edition?

The Troll Hunter
dir. André Øvredal (Norway)
Three student filmmakers venture into the remote forests of northern Norway to make a documentary about bear poachers, and all signs point to a mysterious man named Hans. They follow Hans deep into territory cordoned off by the government, where they learn that Hans isn’t a poacher. He’s The Troll Hunter -- a secret government agent charged with protecting the citizenry from the gargantuan horrors that lurk in the far north. With Hans Morten Hansen, Tomas Alf Larsen, Johanna Mørck, Knut Nærum.

Panels and Discussions:

An Evening with Gustavo Santaolalla
Recipient of the 2011 Mike Curb Career Achievement Award for Film Music, Gustavo Santaollala is the two-time Academy Award-winning composer of the scores of Brokeback Mountain and Babel.

Batman & Other Tales: An Evening with Michael Uslan
Interviewed by Jim Ridley, editor of the Nashville Scene
Uslan is the executive producer of every Batman movie made since the original Tim Burton/Michael Keaton adaptation, right up to next year's The Dark Knight Rises, directed by Christopher Nolan, with Christian Bale.

A Conversation with Vince Gill
Vince Gill in a conversation about all things music and his journey from side musician to top-selling recording artist. Presented by the Film Musicians Secondary Market Fund.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Screen Actors Guild, But Were Afraid to Ask – Moderated by Nashville Executive Director Leslie Krensky.

I Finished My Script, So Now What Do I Do: Top 10 FAQs on the Writers Guild and How to Join – Ursula Lawrence, Lead Strategic Organizer from the Writers Guild of America.

Blue Like Jazz: A Kickstarter Journey
Some filmmakers lost most of their funding for their project, and decided to abandon hope of turning Don Miller’s best-selling memoir into a film. Two fans of the book came forward with an idea to crowd source donations and save the project. Thirty days later: $346,000 in donations from nearly 4,600 fans. The movie was named the Kickstarter Project of the Year and is currently in post-production. Hear about the journey from the filmmakers and see some never-before-seen clips from the film.

Music Supervisors 101: The Basics of Song Placement
Understanding exactly how to submit your songs for film or TV can make the difference between getting that song placed or having it wind up in the "circular file." Panelists set down the guidelines for how, when, and to whom to submit songs to maximize chances and build lasting relationships.

Sony 35 Millimeter Imaging Technology
Sony Electronics presents the new PMW-F3 camcorder, representing a breakthrough for independent producers and filmmakers.

Third Party Music Licensing: More Resources for Artists, Publishers, and Filmmakers
Over the last decade, there have been two key shifts in the music licensing world. One, it's no longer a secret that music placement is a valuable revenue stream and buzz-generating component for artists. Two, music has never been easier to record in high quality.

In partnership with NowPlayingNashville.com, numerous other events are being presented, including receptions and free-ticket programs.

For more information, visit www.nashvillefilmfestival.org.

Nashville Film Festival
April 14 - 21, 2011

Regal Green Hills Stadium 16
3815 Green Hills Village Drive
Nashville, TN

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