The Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) celebrated its 46th annual festival with an incredible week of events that included more than 285 films from 45 countries.
“This was a our best year yet at the Nashville Film Festival,” said NaFF Executive Director Ted Crockett. “We wrapped up 10 days at Regal Green Hills with record-breaking attendance and sold out shows.”
With more than 43,000 in attendance, the festival has increased movie-going attendance by 27 percent over 2012. NaFF presented 43 sold out shows-- including panels, parties and films - to the Nashville community. Two years ago, the number of sold out shows was 18.
Submissions also broke records this year, with more than 3,500 film entries and 1,350 screenwriting competition entries. NaFF Artistic Director, Brian Owens, worked with some of the world’s leading directors and production houses to bring more than 16 World and North American Premieres to NaFF this year.
“There were so many wonderful films in competition this year. We were proud to present them to the Nashville community.”
Major award winners included the Bridgestone Narrative Competition winner Monument to Michael Jackson directed by Darko Lungolov; the Gibson Music Films/Music City Competition winner Orion: The Man Who Would Be King, directed by Jeanie Finlay; and the Ground Zero Tennessee First Award winner, The Keepers directed by Sara Kaye Larson and Joann Self Selvidge.
Other notable award winners include Best Original Song, “One Kind of Love” by Brian Wilson from Love & Mercy, and In My Father’s House, directed by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, was the Southwest Airlines Audience Awards Overall Winner, with a score of 4.99 out of 5. Tomi Fujiyama, the star of Made in Japan, received the Special Jury Prize for Best Import.
In the Screenwriting competition, of nearly 1,350 submissions, the Overall Winner was Brian MacEvilly who won with his feature comedy, The Full Irish and was named runner up in two categories for his feature scripts, Independence Pass and The Home of Rock. In the Young Screenwriter category, 18 year-old Kirill Dyshlovoy, who attended from his home in eastern Russia, took home top honors.
The NaFF Red Carpet was an active scene nearly every night of the festival with stars of film, television, and music. Throughout the festival, appearances were made by Emmylou Harris, Colin Jost, Nick Kroll, Sharon Lawrence, Sam Bush, John Oates and many others. Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon attended with his film, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, as well as Bob Byington with 7 Chinese Brothers.
NaFF partnered with Nashville Fashion Week for the first time ever, presenting a fashion show on the red carpet with design from Amanda Valentine, Loretta Harper, Julianna Bass, Leona and Ceri Hoover.
After more than 300 events in 10 days and record attendance, the 46th annual festival marked a pivotal year of success. Plans for the 2016 Nashville Film Festival are already underway, with dates scheduled to be announced in June.
NaFF will partner with the Nashville Scene to present free movies in the park in June.
Nashville Film Festival (NaFF), April 16 – 25, 2015, presented by Nissan North America, brings the world to Nashville in a 10-day celebration of film. NaFF honors the diversity of the human vision by curating varied program segments and partnering with nearly 100 community organizations. Founded in 1969 by Mary Jane Coleman, it is one of the oldest film festivals in the U.S. Each year NaFF attracts hundreds of filmmakers, actors, screenwriters, musicians, industry insiders, world media and over 40,000 film fans to celebrate with over 250 films from over 50 countries. A team of 500 volunteers make NaFF happen. As an Academy Award Qualifying Event, NaFF garners notice from the Associated Press, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, MovieMaker Magazine, IndieWire, Variety, Billboard, New York and Script Magazine.