Opening night of NAFF features two music docs at the Belcourt Theatre, “Devo” and “Rebel Country.” (Photo Credit: Nashville Film Festival)
By Gregory Crofton
With Nashville being the “It” city, as well as being Music City, the Nashville Film Festival, now in its 55th year, is appropriately more music doc-centric than ever.
The fest opens with a doc about the once very popular Devo, a new wave band from the 70s and 80s, and closes with a film about The Black Keys, a duo that calls Nashville home.
Most but not all of the 150 movies at this year’s NAFF will screen at Regal Green Hills cinema starting tomorrow Sept. 19 and running through Sept. 25. The festival has its opening and closing screenings set in downtown Nashville at the Belcourt Theatre, and there are also a few screenings at the Franklin Theatre.
Green Hills is where the festival was based for years before it moved out to Regal Hollywood on Thompson Lane. The Green Hills cinema has a lower level that’s a fantastic place to gather and talk about films.
The NashFilm Creators Conference also takes place in Green Hills from Sept. 20-22 at the Hilton. It includes industry panels about distribution, the art of the pitch, and crowd funding a film.
The festival presents fiction feature films as well as nonfiction ones. The titles below are some of the documentaries from the fest we’ve chosen to highlight.
DEVO
Opens the film festival! Screens Sept. 19th at 3:30 p.m., Belcourt Theatre. Get tix here.
Explore Devo’s 50-year career through never-before-seen archival and interviews with co-founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale. Born in response to the Kent State massacre, Devo took their concept of “de-evolution” from a cult following to near-rock star status with their groundbreaking 1980 hit “Whip It”, all while preaching an urgent social commentary. The film is directed by Chris Smith, whose credits include Wham!, Fyre, 100 Foot Wave, and Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond. (Source: NashFilm)
REBEL COUNTRY
Screens on Thursday, Sept. 19th at 6 p.m., Belcourt Theatre
Country music is changing — or maybe it’s returning to its roots. This musical documentary traces the troubled history and inclusive future of the genre with performances from today’s most talented iconoclasts, including Blanco Brown, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, and BRELAND. There will be a Q&A after the screening with musicians, Sam Williams and Frank Ray. (Source: NashFilm)
LINDA PERRY: LET IT DIE HERE
Screens Friday Sept. 20th at 6 p.m., Regal Green Hills.
Linda Perry is one of the most outspoken and recognizable artists of the past 30 years. The hat, tattoos, and massive hit single “What’s Up” with her band 4 Non-Blondes made her an icon. But in the decades since that song topped the charts, Linda has reinvented herself as a songwriter and producer, penning hit-after-hit for artists like Dolly Parton, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Pink and others. While the story of Linda’s career and craft is extraordinary, this film is much more. Let It Die Here is an intimate look at a vulnerable and courageous woman as she navigates life-altering personal circumstances amidst gnawing career decisions. (Source: NashFilm)
DIANE WARREN: RELENTLESS
Screens Saturday Sept. 21 at 7 p.m., Regal Green Hills
Diane Warren, a prolific songwriter with an unparalleled track record of writing mega-hits for industry giants, emerges as a force to be reckoned with in “Diane Warren: Relentless.” Boasting 15 Academy Award nominations, an Honorary Oscar along with Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awards, Diane has etched her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and is responsible for the soundtrack of our lives. This intimate documentary delves into her most remarkable collaborations with first-hand commentary from Cher, Gloria Estefan, David Foster, Jennifer Hudson, Kesha and many more to showcase the creative genius that is Diane Warren. (Source: NashFilm)
THEY ALL CAME OUT TO MONTREUX
Screens Sunday, Sept. 22 at 4 p.m., Regal Green Hills and Monday, Sept. 23 at 3 p.m., The Franklin Theatre
Discover the 50 year legacy of the world’s most prestigious music festival and the story of its founder Claude Nobs. Produced by Quincy Jones and featuring a stellar music line-up that includes Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Santana, Carol King, Muddy Waters, Etta James, Gilberto Gil, David Bowie, Van Morrison, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Miles Davis, Sting, Prince and Wyclef Jean. (Source: NashFilm)
SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED
Screens Saturday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m., Regal Green Hills
Hidden away deep in the suburbs of Los Angeles, legendary cult musician Swamp Dogg, alongside housemates Moogstar and Guitar Shorty, has transformed his home into an artistic playground. Together, they navigate the tumultuous waves of the music industry, and forge a wonderfully bizarre and inspiring path across time and space. (Source: NashFilm)
DRIVER
Screens Sunday, Sept. 22 at 3:30 p.m., Regal Green Hills
After losing everything, Desiree Wood takes a second lease on life as a long-haul truck driver. Alongside an irreverent group of women truckers, she fights for a life on the road. Using an intimate and observational approach, “Driver” captures the experience of Desiree and her fellow drivers within a system that routinely promises and denies them the safety and autonomy that they desire. (Source: NashFilm)
ETERNAL YOU
Screens Saturday, Sept. 21st at 9:30 p.m., Regal Green Hills
Startups are using AI to create avatars that allow relatives to talk with their loved ones after they have died. An exploration of a profound human desire and the consequences of turning the dream of immortality into a product. (Source: NashFilm)
FANATICAL: THE CATFISHING OF TEGAN AND SARA
Screens Monday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m., Regal Green Hills
With 10 studio albums to their name, Canadian pop duo and twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin are trailblazers both as openly queer performers and as artists who were quick to embrace social media in its nascent era. Tegan and Sara became known for being accessible to their fans and cultivating a safe space, especially for young LGBTQ+ women, some of whom saw themselves reflected in pop music for the first time. Around 2010, social media profiles claiming to be Tegan started popping up. An anonymous, catfishing person connected with people in the fan community, forming friendships, and online romances, sharing personal information of Tegan’s and fabricating stories of her bad behaviour. (Source: NashFilm)
PORCELAIN WAR
Screens Saturday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m., Regal Green Hills and Wednesday Sept. 25 at 4 p.m., Belcourt Theatre
Amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, three artists defiantly find inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country. In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. (Source: NashFilm)
SUGARCANE
Screens Saturday, Sept. 21st at 3 p.m., Regal Green Hills
In 2021, evidence of unmarked graves was discovered on the grounds of an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Canada. After years of silence, the forced separation, assimilation and abuse many children experienced at these segregated boarding schools was brought to light, sparking a national outcry against a system designed to destroy Indigenous communities. Set amidst a groundbreaking investigation, “Sugarcane” illuminates the beauty of a community breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and finding the strength to persevere. (Source: NashFilm)
THIS IS A FILM ABOUT THE BLACK KEYS
Closes the Festival! Screens Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m., Belcourt Theatre
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney formed The Black Keys in Akron, Ohio. After a decade of relentless touring and navigating highs and lows, they found mainstream success with Brothers and El Camino. Directed by Jeff Dupre. (Source: IMDb)