The Nashville Film Festival on Wednesday unveiled the programming slate for its 57th edition, which will take place Sept. 24 through 30 at the Belcourt, the National Museum of African American Music, Regal Green Hills and the new Nashville Yards venue Hooky Entertainment.
This year's fest will feature more than 150 films, including 24 world premieres, a slew of local productions and an appearance from Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Peter Frampton.
As previously announced, the longtime Nashville resident is scheduled to appear on opening night for a screening of the intimate documentary Frampton, which was created by a team of mostly Nashville-based filmmakers.
Trio of Tennessee-connected documentaries to screen at NaFF's 57th edition in September
Another music documentary sure to be of interest to locals: the North American premiere of Songs From the Circle, which chronicles a star-studded edition of the Grand Ole Opry during its international debut at London's Royal Albert Hall.
Narrative features to keep an eye out for include Tender Loving Care, the latest from British indie auteur Mike Leigh; meta-thriller A Talent for Murder, starring Helen Mirren and Alden Ehrenreich; and drug crisis drama Clean Hands from Nashville-based writer-director Jake Allyn.
The festival will also include music video, shorts and episodic programming.
"We're excited to bring such a multifaceted lineup of films to Nashville,” NashFilm programming director Lauren Thelen says in a release. “Our programming for 2026 reflects a wide range of genres, themes and perspectives, giving our audiences a global and local view of independent filmmaking. This year's program reflects the music, creativity and character that sets Nashville apart.”
Find trailers, ticketing information and more details at nashvillefilmfestival.org. Below, see a full list of titles. Additional feature titles, including the closing night feature, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Special Presentations
Frampton (dir. Rob Arthur) · A Talent for Murder (dir. Anton Corbijn) · Tender Loving Care (dir. Mike Leigh) · Lady (dir. Samuel Abrahams) · Breeder (dir. Alex Goyette) · The Incomer (dir. Louis Paxton) · The Wingfeather Saga: Season 4, Episodes 1 & 2 (dirs. Ron Smith, Bill Breneisen)
Spotlight: U.S. Indie Features
Brother Save Us (dir. Jesse Behrenwald) · Jackrabbit (dir. Ballard C. Boyd) · The Leader (dir. Michael Gallagher) · Stages (dir. Ryan Booth) · The Isolate Thief (dir. John Suits)
Narrative Features
Crooks (dir. Mickey Keating) · Take Me Home (dir. Liz Sargent) · Hot Water (dir. Ramzi Bashour) · Strange River (dir. Jaume Claret Muxart)
Documentary Features
Time Warp (dir. Allison Berg) · Jaripeo (dirs. Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig) · Scarlet Girls (dir. Paula Cury Melo) · The Haunting of Pennhurst (dirs. Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, Kat Poljak) · A City In The Forest (dirs. Lev Omelchenko, Nolan Huber) · 4000 Days (dir. Daniel Catullo) · Stray Embers (dirs. Erin Brethauer and Tim Hussin)
Music Documentaries
The Man With the Big Hat (dir. Austin Sayre) · Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story (dir. Ayden Mayeri) · Songs From the Circle (dir. David Freid) · Sara Bareilles: Good Grief (dir. Josh Alexander) · Jail Time Records (dirs. Dione Roach, Steve Happi) · Bleeding Hearts (dir. Andrew Morgan)
New Directors
Mallory's Ghost (dir. Arabella Oz, co-dir. Nick Canellakis) · Sparks (dir. Fergus Campbell) · Compliance (dir. Kyle Mangione-Smith) · Crystal Cross (dir. Richie James Follin) · Seahorse (dir. Aisha Evelyna)
Tennessee Features
Little Hollywood, Tennessee (dir. Christian Whittemore) · The Lorraine (dir. Sam Pollard) · Clean Hands (dir. Jake Allyn) · SHED (dir. Mila Vilaplana) · Where the Hell Is Anna? (dir. Taylor Dupuis) · One Plant (dir. Jordan Berger) · Louis L'Amour's FLINT (dir. Ryan Whitaker)
Short Film, Episodic and Music Video Selections are available at NashvilleFilmFestival.org.
