NASHVILLE, TENN. — The Belcourt Theatre announces Belcourt 100, an ongoing centennial celebration of its 100th birthday — with upcoming programming, seminars and events that celebrate and reflect on the theatre’s century-long history and its significance and impact on Nashville.
The Belcourt first opened its doors on May 18, 1925 — called then the Hillsboro Theatre, with an entrance on 21st Avenue (where the Villager Tavern sits today) and with a footprint that has changed with some expansion and renovation, but essentially remains its original location. Over the past 100 years, under varied names and ownership, the Belcourt evolved — established first as a silent film house, then as an early stage for the Grand Ole Opry, later a community playhouse that served as home to many theater groups in the ‘30s and ‘40s (including the Nashville Children’s Theatre, a music and film venue, and then organized as a nonprofit with a mission focused on the best of independent films.
“As we approached this milestone, we wanted to go deeper than simply just recognizing that 1925 opening day since the Belcourt’s history over the last 100 years has been so deeply layered — and so tied to our city’s history,” said executive director Stephanie Silverman. “We so look forward to celebrating the Belcourt with audiences over the next 12 months, but also celebrating and recognizing Nashville’s own connections to cinema history and the many voices who were part of that.”
With an ongoing celebration of Belcourt 100 planned for the next 12 months, current highlights include:
Twelve months of centennial celebration, kicking off May 31 with Robert Altman’s NASHVILLE — and welcoming special guest Keith Carradine to the Belcourt: The theatre kicks off 12 months of Belcourt 100 with three screenings of Robert Altman’s 1975 NASHVILLE (now in its 50th anniversary year — Saturday-Sunday, May 31-June 1 (12:00 p.m.) and Monday, June 2 (4:15 p.m., 7:30 p.m.) Following the Sunday, June 1, 12:00 p.m. screening, Keith Carradine joins audiences in-person. Carradine played guitarist Tom Frank in NASHVILLE — and performed the Academy Award-winning “I’m Easy,” which he wrote.
NASHVILLE tickets are now on-sale for Belcourt members (and will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, May 15 at 10 a.m.).
Nashville: A City On Film explores the history of films shot in and around Nashville: NASHVILLE headlines Nashville: A City On Film, an ongoing project exploring the history of films shot in and around Nashville. From studio-backed features to scrappy indie productions, these films capture a city in flux and reflect a filmmaking legacy that continues to evolve — much of it intersecting with the Belcourt’s own past.
“In many ways, the coming months will look familiar to Belcourt audiences — a mix of new releases worth highlighting, as well as repertory with both limited and ongoing series,” said programming director Toby Leonard. “With A City On Film, the eight films playing in June serve as kickstarter. But there’s more to explore in terms of films that use the city as setting, including outlying counties too. Over the next 12 months, we’ll use this centennial to share a variety of film selections that cinematically connect individual performers, interesting subject matter and cultural/historical nuances that have sprung from the city to the screen.”
Nashville: A City On Film includes NASHVILLE, THE THING CALLED LOVE (35mm), GIRL FROM TOBACCO ROW, NEIL YOUNG: HEART OF GOLD, ERNEST SCARED STUPID (35mm), STOKER, GUMMO and EXISTO.
Adjacent to Belcourt 100, Altman at 100 in June — featuring co-stars Keith Carradine and Nashville’s John Schuck for a discussion after THIEVES LIKE US on 35mm film: Because 2025 is Robert Altman’ centenary as well, this June’s programming also includes Altman at 100, a small collection of Altman favorites (several on 35mm film) that have not screened recently at the Belcourt. In addition to NASHVILLE, Altman at 100 includes: THIEVES LIKE US (June 1, 7 p.m., 35mm) with a post-screening discussion with co-stars Keith Carradine and John Schuck; CALIFORNIA SPLIT (Saturday-Sunday, June 7-8, 12 p.m., 35mm); THE PLAYER (Saturday-Sunday, June 14-15, 12 p.m.); SHORT CUTS (Saturday-Sunday, June 21-22, 12 p.m.); BREWSTER McCLOUD (Saturday, June 28, 12 p.m. and Tuesday, July 1, 8 p.m., 35mm); O.C. AND STIGGS (Sunday, June 29, 12 p.m. and Thursday, July 3, 8 p.m., 35mm).
All Altman at 100 tickets — including for THIEVES LIKE US with a discussion with Keith Carradine and John Schuck — are now on sale for Belcourt members (and will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, May 15 at 10 a.m.)
Belcourt 100 draws on new research that explores and interprets the theatre’s history: The foundation for the Belcourt’s centennial celebration has been an in-depth research project designed to explore and interpret the theatre’s 100-year history as Nashville’s oldest neighborhood theater and longest-operating site for film exhibition — an endeavor led by Belcourt staff member Teddy Minton, a public historian and archivist.
“From digital and physical archives of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Metro Archives, to the New York Public Library and the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, my work has encompassed local cinema culture tied to the Belcourt’s past, as well as surprising stories connected to local and national histories too,” said Minton. “It’s also included what we’ve called the Belcourt Stories Project, an oral history initiative that uses personal reminiscences, interviews and archival documents to capture the theatre’s cultural legacy.
“As few comprehensive histories exist about the city’s relationship to cinema, this project fills a crucial gap — demonstrating how Nashville’s film culture has long intersected with broader moments in American cinema.”
Throughout the Belcourt’s 12-month centennial celebration, audiences are invited to contribute to the ongoing Belcourt Stories Project with their own Belcourt memories and recollections.
Belcourt 100 seminar series:
During the upcoming year, Teddy Minton will lead a series of Belcourt seminars that explore varied aspects of the Belcourt’s and Nashville’s intersecting histories. Focusing on subjects that range from the origins of city’s cinema culture to the importance of its community theater, from the local moguls who started it all to Nashville’s Black theaters, exhibitors, performers and creators, as well as conversations about the Belcourt’s overlapping history with the Grand Ole Opry and the web of Nashville connections to Hollywood.
The inaugural Belcourt 100 seminar, Hick Flick U.S.A., Saturday, June 7 (10-11 a.m.), examines the emergence of Nashville’s exploitation filmmaking scene in the ‘60s and ’70s, a local response to the broader national shifts in independent cinema and filmmaking. While directors like Coppola, Scorsese and Altman were reshaping Hollywood, Nashville filmmakers were crafting their own “hick flicks”— low-budget productions rooted in Southern settings, rural spectacle and moral panic. The seminar explores how these films found national audiences through drive-ins and neighborhood theaters, turning regional tropes into a distinct subgenre of American cinema — and setting Nashville’s filmmaking apart during this era. The conversation extends into the 2000s, tracing the legacy of Hick Flicks through local cult phenomena like the Ernest P. Worrell franchise and the auteur works of Harmony Korine — and the ways it all intersects with the Belcourt’s own history.
Revolving exhibit space at the Belcourt:
To share some of the many archival items uncovered in public historian and archivist Teddy Minton’s work, the Belcourt will house a revolving display of selected items on the second floor’s lobby area.
Walking tour collaboration with Nashville Sites:
The Belcourt is collaborating with Nashville Sites to develop a self-guided walking and driving tour called Music City Movies, dedicated to exploring the historic landmarks where movies were made, cinemas where movies were screened and other unexpected places that give meaning to Nashville's film culture. In coordination with Sites, this self-guided tour is expected to launch late summer 2025.
New Instagram account dedicated to the Belcourt’s history:
Launching on May 18, the day the Belcourt first opened its doors as the Hillsboro Theatre, a new Belcourt Instagram account joins the theatre’s current ones (@belcourttheatre and @belcourtmidnights). This new account builds on one originally created and curated by Belcourt staff member Jon Keller. In its new iteration, @belcourthistory will provide a visual exhibit of the Belcourt’s past, its rich history, and its many connections to the city and community that have supported the theatre during the past century — as well as wider film and cinema histories.
Belcourt 100 merchandise:
The Belcourt’s centennial is a chance to utilize historic images from the theatre’s past to offer Belcourt audiences unique memorabilia of this important anniversary.
As a kick-off, the Belcourt is delighted to once again partner with Nashville’s imogene + willie to begin its centennial celebration — and to help commemorate this Belcourt milestone, imogene + willie is producing a commemorative limited edition t-shirt, with a portion of sales benefitting the theatre. The shirt will be available in early June online at imogeneandwillie.com and at imogene + willie’s store at 2601 12th Avenue S. And throughout Belcourt 100’s 12 months, other limited edition merchandise will be announced.
Belcourt 100 Donor Circle:
As the Belcourt’s centennial celebration marks the theatre’s programming, engagement and education over the next 12 months, the theatre will continue its consistent strong programming slate of new releases, repertory films, engagement offerings and educational programming — regardless of a milestone birthday.
To support the unique offerings of Belcourt 100, the Belcourt 100 Donor Circle is comprised of 100+ donors who have given and pledged $1,000 gifts. Learn more about participating in the Belcoourt 100 Donor Circle.
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