The Nashville Film Festival

September 18-24, 2025

The Nashville Film Festival is one of the longest-running film festivals in the country. There is a full range of in-person screenings at venues throughout Nashville. Festival-goers can enjoy over 125 films, Creators Conference panels, Q&As with filmmakers, the annual Music Program, and other exclusive content. The Nashville Film Festival, a week-long celebration of film, music, and culture, will showcase nearly 150 films on screen across seven days at Regal Green Hills and the Belcourt Theatre. Additional screening and event venues will continue to be announced throughout the summer.

Coinciding with the festival, the highly anticipated Creators Conference will be hosted at the Hilton Nashville Green Hills from September 19-21, 2025. The three-day conference will feature an inspiring lineup of panels with film and music industry professionals alongside networking events designed to educate and connect the creative community.

56th Festival Competition Categories

Globally recognized as one of the top independent film festivals in the world, the Nashville Film Festival curates a wide array of feature-length and short films is a series of competitive categories as well as several of the most buzz-worthy special presentations.

2025 FILM COMPETITION CATEGORIES (15)

  • Narrative Feature
  • Documentary Feature
  • Music Documentary Feature
  • New Directors Feature
  • Tennessee Feature
  • Narrative Shorts
  • Animated Shorts
  • Documentary Shorts
  • Graveyard Shorts
  • The Edge Shorts
  • Tennessee Shorts
  • Tennessee Student Shorts
  • NextGen Student
  • Music Video
  • Episodic Pilot/Series

2025 SCREENWRITING COMPETITION CATEGORIES (8)

  • Drama Feature
  • Comedy Feature
  • Horror Feature
  • Genre Feature
  • Short Competition
  • 30-minute Pilot
  • 60-minute Pilot
  • Tennessee Writer

A Guide to Nashville Film Festival

Get ready to experience an electrifying celebration of film, music, and culture at some of Nashville’s most iconic arts venues.

Book Your Stay in Nashville

Start planning your next trip by looking for the perfect place to stay. Lodging comes with amenities to make your stay exceptional.

Germantown Inn
Couples Hotel Room Westin
The Hermitage Hotel exterior