The following is a press release:
The Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm), a week-long celebration of film, music, and culture, [recently] announced its robust film program for its 56th annual event, taking place from September 18–24, 2025 at venues throughout the city. This year’s festival features more than 140 selections from over 30 countries, with over 30 feature-length films and more than 20 official selections making their U.S., North American and world premieres.
Notable festival presentations include: Apple Original Films’ “COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT,” an unexpectedly funny and joyful love story following poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley as they navigate life and mortality in the face of an incurable diagnosis; the award-winning feature “COLOR BOOK,” a moving narrative about a recently widowed father and his son with Down Syndrome on their way to their first baseball game; “BY DESIGN,” a playful satire starring Juliette Lewis as a woman who swaps bodies with a chair, only to find everyone likes her better that way; SXSW Grand Jury Prize Winner “SLANTED,” which follows a Chinese-American teen who undergoes extreme changes to achieve a “white” ideal; and “THE TRUE BEAUTY OF BEING BITTEN BY A TICK,” in which a woman in crisis develops troubling symptoms from a tick bite while visiting a friend’s countryside home, transforming the idyllic retreat into something sinister.
This year will have a special spotlight on US Indie Features, including IFC Films’ new comedy from Jay Duplass, “THE BALTIMORONS,” following a newly sober man’s Christmas Eve dental emergency and the unexpected romance that blossoms with his dentist. The screening and exclusive “The Art of Indie Filmmaking” in-person conversation with Duplass will take place at Soho House Nashville on September 20 at 4 p.m. Duplass will share insights on writing personal stories, producing outside and within the studio system and balancing creative roles on both sides of the camera. He’ll also explore how the indie landscape has evolved and what it takes to stay creatively fulfilled and resilient in today’s industry. The event is only available to festival badge holders and Soho House members.
Featured in the festival’s additional programming is a captivating slate of documentaries. The feature-length films selected for competition include: Acclaimed international documentary “TRANS MEMORIA,” a film about self-discovery and what womanhood means as three women learn to embrace their true selves; “THE PYTHON HUNT,” following an eclectic group of hunters as they compete in a government-run invasive python removal contest in the Everglades, encountering dangerous terrain, nocturnal creatures and their own desires; “NEVER GET BUSTED!,” a comedic how-to guide from an ex-Texas narcotics officer on how to hide drugs from the police; and “I WAS BORN THIS WAY,” a look at gospel singer Carl Bean’s disco hit of the same name that would be celebrated as the world’s first gay anthem, featuring QuestLove, Billy Porter and Dionne Warwick.
Beloved festival staples, the short, episodic and music video programs are back with an electrifying lineup. This year’s shorts program will include Dreamworks’ and Chris and Justin Copeland’s animated “WEDNESDAYS WITH GRAMPS,” following a teenage boy visiting his grandfather at a seemingly mundane, boring assisted living facility and learning they have more in common than he thought. Additional short titles include: “SLEAZY TIGER,” a Scottish action-comedy with Alan Cumming and directed by James Ley, centered on a hopeless romantic battling sexual urges during his date; “THE BEGUILING,” directed by ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby, following two indigenous people whose burgeoning romance takes a sinister turn; and “GRANDMA NAI WHO PLAYED FAVORITES,” a comedy where dead Grandma Nai sneaks away from her peaceful afterlife after overhearing that her queer grandson is about to get engaged to a woman.
Highlighting diverse local talent, this year’s Tennessee program spotlights 16 shorts and six features, including: “YOU’VE GOT GOLD: A CELEBRATION OF JOHN PRINE,” honoring the legacy and music of the Grammy award winning singer-songwriter, featuring performances by Brandi Carlile, Tyler Childers and Kacey Musgraves; “THE EASY KIND,” an intimate look at a Nashville singer-songwriter’s journey as she breaks through the constraints of country music to become the artist that she’s meant to be; and “LOUDER THAN GUNS,” directed by Doug Pray and exploring the complexities of gun violence in America through the lens of music and civil discourse.
“As we celebrate the 56th year of the Nashville Film Festival, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come as an organization and as a community that continues to champion the art of storytelling,” said Jason Padgitt, Executive Director. “Nashville’s film landscape has grown so impressively and this year’s festival is a testament to that evolution. We’re proud to offer a platform that uplifts voices, builds connections and brings powerful stories to the forefront.”
“This year’s program is one of our most exciting yet, with a wave of important and original work from emerging filmmakers who are shaping the future of cinema,” said Lauren Thelen, Programming Director. “Our carefully curated selection of films is designed to resonate with audiences and leave a lasting impression long after the screenings end.”
The films selected join the previously announced titles of “MATTER OF TIME,” “REBUILDING,” “F*CKTOYS” and “OPRYLAND, USA: A CIRCLE BROKEN.” All previously announced programming can be found here. Each of the films selected for this year’s Nashville Film Festival will screen in person at various venues across the city over the course of the week. The Nashville Film Festival program is below; film and event details, images and trailers are available online here. Tickets for the screenings go on sale for NashFilm badge holders beginning Wednesday, August 6 and for the general public on Friday, August 8, at 8 a.m. CT. Tickets can be purchased online at www.nashvillefilmfestival.org.
