Written by Precious Ringor
“NashFilm brings the world to Nashville to celebrate innovation, music and the many voices of the human spirit through the art of film.”
Mark your calendars! Nashville Film Festival is celebrating 51 years online. From October 1-7, the festival will be streaming more than 200 films from a wide variety of genres. Numerous music programs, competitions, and panels are also available for filmmakers and film lovers to connect virtually.
Founded in 1969, NashFilm is still considered one of the longest-running film festivals in the country and is widely acclaimed for its “big city festival atmosphere and laid-back Southern hospitality.”
Opening on Thursday is the Music Program which runs synchronous to the festival. Launched more than a decade ago, the program allows for sync opportunities between Nashville’s Music, TV, Advertising and Film communities. In partnership with Acme Radio Live, every night is rounded off by an artist showcase. Music badges or individual tickets are available for $12 each.
A musical tribute in honor of the 20th anniversary of the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ will be featured in the program. It will be held exclusively through NashFilm featuring performances by Chris Thomas King and Carlene Carter, as well as Q&A discussions with legendary film actors George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Turturro.
Also coinciding with the film festival is the Nashville Creators Conference, which takes place on October 2 & 3. This two-day event offers panels focusing on filmmaking, writing for film, music for film, and culture & social issues. Panels include Filmmaking for Social Justice, The Art of the Podcast: Creating Captivating Content, and The Art of Navigating TN’s Production Landscape. Conference producer Kalyna Kutny remarks, “the conference provides a platform for global industry leaders to connect and learn from so many of our diverse content creators in our very own great city.” For more information about the event, see https://nashvillefilmfestival.org/creators-conference-2020/
Besides screenings, educational panels, and music programs – the film festival will host competitions such as the TN First Competition, Episodic Competition, and Music City Competition. All competitions highlight homegrown artists from different entertainment industries. Be sure not to miss the Special Presentations to support some rising stars making their Nashville premieres. Past winners have won prizes amounting to more than $100,000 and all are eligible to qualify for an Academy Award consideration.
Despite the necessary changes to this year’s setting, festival director Jason Padgitt stresses the importance of prioritizing the safety and well-being of their community.
“This year has given us an opportunity to think creatively about how we can make the festival more accessible and innovative than ever before, and we are excited to deliver a memorable experience that honors all the reasons we’ve become known as a premier event for content creators and film enthusiasts.”
To purchase a badge, visit https://nashvillefilmfestival.org/2020-festival/ or follow @nashfilmfest and the hashtag #NashFilm
Past winners of Nashville Film Festival’s screenwriting and film competitions. Source taken from NashFilm’s submission page.
2020 NASHFILM CREATORS CONFERENCE LINEUP
Film Festival: Insights for Filmmakers
Friday, October 2nd at 10:00 am
About: This panel will discuss how festivals uphold their programming integrity, and how transparent they are regarding their selection process. Panelists will explore the relationship between these powerful institutions and the filmmakers they serve, to better answer the question: “What is the right festival for me, and how do I get into it?”. From the judging process, to the advantage of smaller vs larger festivals, to how festivals are pivoting in an ever-changing landscape, this conversation will help you decide what home is best for your film.
Moderator: Rebecca Fons, Programming Director at FilmScene & Programming Director the historic Iowa Theater
Panelists: Beth Barrett, Artistic Director at Seattle International Film Festival; Eric Hatch, Film Programmer, Critic and Consultant; Vivian Hua, Executive Director of Northwest Film Forum in Seattle
The Art of Navigating TN’s Production Landscape
Friday, October 2nd at 11:30 am
About: Hear from leading content creators as they discuss their experiences producing film, television & media-based projects in Tennessee. They will share the good, bad & not-so-awful as they offer insights on how to leverage resources, workforce & the almighty incentive to make a damn good production.
Moderator: Bob Raines, Executive Director – Tennessee Entertainment Commission (TEC)
Panelists: Michael Lohmann, Head of Production – Kapital Entertainment; Clarke Gallivan, Producer – Right Brain | Left Brain Entertainment; Ryan Westheimer, President – CS West Productions, Inc.
The Case Study in Sync – Marketing & Games
Friday, October 2nd at 2:30 pm
About: An in-depth behind the scenes look at the decisions that are made when selecting a song for a sync placement. We will break down ‘the brief’, discuss how tempo, tone/feeling, and theme play a role, examine the reason(s) a song gets selected or not selected, the importance of context in a song and what makes one song work better than another. This is an advanced look at sync placements in games.
Moderator: Heather Cook, Director of Marketing & Brands at peermusic
Panelists: Brandon Young, Director of Music Affairs at Activision; Dave Lapinsky, VP Music Producer at Grey Group/Townhouse; Anny Colvin, Head of Music at MakeMake
The Case Study in Sync – Film & TV
Friday, October 2nd at 4:00 pm
About: An in-depth behind the scenes look at the decisions that are made when selecting a song for a sync placement. This is an advanced look at sync placements in film and TV.
Moderator: Steve Nalbert, Head of Creative Licensing at Round Hill Music
Panelists: Amine Ramer, Founder at States of Sound; Jen Malone, Music Supervisor at Black & White; Brian J. Miller, Music Supervisor at NFL Network; Jonathan Christiansen, Music Supervisor at Hit The Ground Running, Inc.
Filmmaking For Social Justice
Friday, October 2nd at 5:30 pm
About: Discussion with trailblazers who fight the good fight focusing on the importance of creating stories that highlight social change and advocacy. Diving into the struggles of creating these types of works and the passion and perseverance it takes to get to the finish line.
Moderator: Andy Peterson, Docs/ology Films + Senior Creative Media Executive at Aspiration Entertainment and Director of the Justice Film Festival
Panelists: Eric Payton, Chief Creative Officer of Unanimous Media; Brian Tetsuro Ivie, Filmmaker; Erin Bernhardt, Filmmaker
Inside Screenwriting
Friday, October 2nd at 7:00 pm
About: Get an inside look at what it actually takes to make it as a writer in Hollywood. Seasoned and award winning writers from TV and Film will take us through their process from outlines to the final script. Learn about pitching to executives, writing for showrunners, and ways to develop your ideas into great stories.
Moderator: Stephen Houser, Writer and Professor at Belmont University
Panelists: Writers – Chuck Hayward (credits: Wandavision, Mixed-ish, and Dear White People); Sean Hennen (credits: Person of Interest, Minority Report (TV Series) and The Blacklist); Aida Croal (credits: Marvel’s Luke Cage, Marvel’s Jessica Jones, and Turn: Washington’s Spies)
Preservation of Film: Film Archiving
Saturday, October 3rd at 10:00 am
About: This panel explores how filmmakers and artists collaborate with archives to reuse, sample, and re-contextualize archival audiovisual footage. The panel will help filmmakers navigate the sometimes tricky routes to accessing rare historic footage, talk about where your film goes after its production run (and what happens when your own film becomes historic footage), and we will chat with filmmakers and archivists about their most innovative uses of archival footage.
Moderator: Kelli Helix, Audiovisual Archivist & Project Manager of the Audiovisual Heritage Center, a regional archive supported by Nashville Metro Archives and the Nashville Public Library
Panelists: Ina Archer, Visual Artist, Filmmaker, Programmer and Media Conservator; Rick Prelinger, Professor of Film & Digital Media at UC Santa Cruz; Tom Neff, Filmmaker and Professor at Middle Tennessee State University; Shelley Hay, Filmmaker
Emerging Voices in Film
Saturday, October 3rd at 11:30 am
About: Feature debut filmmakers and up and coming content creators talk about the hardships on getting your film made. Hear from filmmakers from this year’s NashFilm Fest talk about their journey’s and what it took to get from script to screen.
Moderator: Carey Nelson Burch, Producer
Panelists: Olivia Peace, Director of Tahara; Morgan Ingari, Writer/Director of Milkwater; Jiayan “Jenny” Shi, Documentary filmmaker/Video Journalist of Finding Yingying
The Art of the Podcast: Creating Captivating Content
Saturday, October 3rd at 1:00 pm
About: Everyone has an idea for a podcast, but what does it take to really get it off the ground? Learn from successful podcast creators who took their idea and found a loyal audience. In this panel, we will also discuss strategies for building an engaging fan community and how to maintain a following as you continue to generate new content.
Moderator: Melissa Chataigne, TV Personality & Fashion Expert
Panelists: Jasmin ‘Jas Hands’ Saville, Host of The Brown Liquor Report; Will Compton, NFL Player and Host of “Bussin’ with the Boys”; Sarah Merrill, Host of “Big Kid Problems”
Realities of Launching a Feature Film or Television Project
Saturday, October 3rd at 2:30 pm
About: Join us in talking with a few industry titans on how to actually get your project made. A bottom-line look into who makes the decisions on what projects get put into development, first-hand knowledge on best practices, post-COVID realities and current and future trends within our industry.
Moderator: Andy Van Roon, Chairman/GM FILM-COM President, TN Entertainment Alliance
Panelists: Les Bohem, Writer and Producer; Gilbert Adler, writer, producer + director; James V Hart, writer + producer
Industry Insights: Casting Directors Round Table
Saturday, October 3rd at 4:00 pm
About: Ever dreamed of being on TV? Hear from expert casting gurus who have found some of the most entertaining people for reality TV. Listen as they tell you behind the scenes stories about casting shows for network hits on Bravo, MTV, Netflix, TLC, Lifetime, NBC, ABC and many more! Tips and tricks on how to get the attention of the people that really can turn your dreams into reality.
Moderator: Betsy Spina, Actor and Host
Panelists: Casting Directors Diana Wallace and Alexis Diamond
Chihuly in Film: When Art and Filmmaking Collide
Saturday, October 3rd at 5:30 pm
About: World renowned American artist Dale Chihuly understood early on the importance of documenting his work through the medium of film. We are joined by Leslie Chihuly and filmmaker Peter West as they discuss the intersection of art and film. Creating a way for your audience to virtually experience an exhibit in a time when we are all craving an escape to something more peaceful, Chihuly has found a way to do just that. We will also explore the latest exhibit Chihuly at Cheekwood here in Nashville TN.
Panelists: Leslie Jackson Chihuly, President & CEO, Chihuly Studio Co-founder, The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation Chair Emerita, Seattle Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors; and Peter West, Filmmaker