Academy Award® Qualifying Festival Brings Nearly 150 Films to Venues Across Music City, VIP Badges on Sale Now for September 24–30 Event
Rock Icon Peter Frampton to Appear at Opening Night; Emmy-Winning Filmmaker Sam Pollard Also Among First Names Confirmed
NASHVILLE, TN — June 25, 2026 —Nashville Film Festival, one of the country’s longest-running festivals, is set to return to Music City for its 57th edition September 24–30. The week-long festival will present nearly 150 films from around the world.
Today, the festival is announcing its first three titles, each carrying its own special connection to Tennessee: Frampton, a portrait of rock icon and Nashville resident Peter Frampton; The Lorraine, Sam Pollard’s documentary on Memphis’s Lorraine Motel; and Little Hollywood, Tennessee, a coming-of-age story following the high school filmmakers of the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Peter Frampton will appear in person on the festival’s Opening Night for a post-screening discussion, while Emmy-winning director Sam Pollard will join a post-screening discussion of his film alongside writer and executive producer Alvin D. Hall.
This year’s festival will unfold across some of Nashville’s most distinctive venues, including the National Museum of African American Music, Belcourt Theatre, Hooky Entertainment at the Nashville Yards, Regal Green Hills and more. The week will include filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and parties connecting creatives, industry members, and film fans. VIP Badges are on sale now HERE.
“Some of the world’s most enduring art comes out of Nashville,” said NashFilm Executive Director Jason Padgitt. “That legacy is exactly what makes it the perfect place for creators to share their work while discovering new stories from around the world. For 57 years, the Nashville Film Festival has elevated the important art of film and we’re honored to champion its growth and evolution.”
With the full film slate still to come, the festival is beginning with Tennessee, its home since 1969.
“We have an incredible lineup coming together this year, with films from all over the world,” said Lauren Thelen, Programming Director. “But we wanted to start by celebrating a few stories with Tennessee roots.”
FRAMPTON — Directed by Rob Arthur, Peter Frampton and Arthur will be in attendance for a post-screening discussion on the film festival’s Opening Night
An intimate portrait of Peter Frampton, from his meteoric 1970s ascent through the years that tested him and the reinvention that followed. Now confronting Inclusion Body Myositis, a degenerative condition threatening his ability to play, Frampton reckons with time and his own limits. Through rare archival footage, candid interviews, and electrifying concert moments, this documentary explores the spirit of a musician who defined an era, lost everything, and fought his way back — only to discover that his greatest encore might not be on stage, but in the time he’s reclaiming with the people he loves most.
THE LORRAINE — Directed by Sam Pollard, who will attend for a post-screening discussion alongside executive producer Alvin D. Hall
Before April 4, 1968, Memphis’s Lorraine Motel was a rare Black-owned sanctuary during Jim Crow, a center of entrepreneurship, music, and Civil Rights organizing. Sam Pollard, the Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated documentarian, reclaims the history that the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. overshadowed. Drawing on archival footage, music, and the voices of those who lived it, THE LORRAINE is an urgent and joyful reckoning with a movement whose work remains unfinished.
LITTLE HOLLYWOOD, TENNESSEE — Directed by Christian Whittemore, who will attend for a post-screening discussion
Each summer, twenty-four high school students across Tennessee are selected for one shot at creating a full-blown narrative motion picture. The Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts drops them straight into the deep end and asks them to swim. For one month, they live like college students, make difficult creative choices, and find out what they’re made of when surrounded by skilled peers. What begins as a crash course in cameras and craft quietly becomes something more personal. On the precipice of the rest of their lives, these kids navigate disagreement, impostor syndrome, and self-worth in this coming-of-age film that’s a must-see for anyone with the creative urge.
| The full lineup, schedule, and additional programming will be revealed over the coming months. VIP Badges and ticket packages are on sale now HERE with single tickets to follow. |
| About Nashville Film Festival The Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm) is a globally recognized nonprofit organization and cultural event presenting the best in world cinema, American independent films and documentaries by veteran masters, up-and-coming directors, and first-time filmmakers. With Academy Award® qualifying status, the Nashville Film Festival celebrates innovation, music and the many voices of the human spirit through the art of film. Originally founded in 1969, the Nashville Film Festival is one of the first film festivals in the United States and will host its 57th festival from September 24-30, 2026. For more information, visit www.nashfilm.org. |