For over ten years, I have been going to the Nashville Film Festival. It started out with volunteering for college credit, and through the years, I have met some terrific folks. Even if we only see each other once a year, it feels like no time has passed at all. Still, this year was a whole new experience. Why? Because a goal has finally been reached: I had a press pass around my sultry neck.
It’s such a gratifying experience to see your name and the company you work for to be so beautifully displayed on a laminate surface. But, it also means I had work to do! With that said, here are some highlights as I skipped through days of movies and memories all brought to you by the 49th annual Nashville Film Festival.
PS: This is the second year in a row for the festival to be at Regal Hollywood 27, and this year they got REAL fancy. The renovations are spectacular.
I managed to see 15 films over 10 days. My top three favorites are Blindspotting, Minding the Gap, and Hot Summer Nights.
By the way, before I even got my badge and tickets, I saw Kathie Lee Gifford mingling in the V.I.P. lounge. She seemed to be having a blast.
Missing Opening Night was a real bummer for me, so my day one was probably day two for everyone else. My very first film of the fest was a documentary called Minding the Gap. It received great buzz out of Sundance and the director, Bing Liu, was there in attendance! I stayed for the Q&A and still amazed this is his first feature film.
On my way in to see McQueen, I see Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch taking pictures with fans. He seemed to be in it for the long haul because the line was pretty long. His documentary Loud Krazy Love was a big hit at the festival.
While seeing Debra Granik’s (Winter’s Bone) new film, Leave No Trace, I realized that my fellow film critic Leonard Maltin was in the same screening! We’re basically like brothers now!
At the Lynard Skynard doc If I Leave Here Tomorrow, the drummer Artimus Pyle was in attendance; but, I unfortunately wasn’t able to stay for the Q&A involving him and director Stephen Kijak. I had to go get some wonderful Wendy’s and watch ravishing women wrestle in the Making Towns Classic tournament that SoBros helped sponsor.
My press badge got me in to the VIP area and one of the first things I see is a Jack Daniels table. Free samples! I sipped on some of their new Tennessee Rye that’s only been out for a little over six months I believe. It was very tasty and cleared up my allergies in no time.
My lovely girlfriend agreed to come to two movies with me. The only condition was I had to carry her in to the movie and then back to the car once it was over. Done! Our date nights consisted of Hal and McQueen, both documentaries (can’t get enough of ’em) about legendary director of the 70’s Hal Ashby and fashion innovator Alexander McQueen, respectively.
My first three movies were documentaries. However, I changed it up with the Sundance smash called Blindspotting. It’s an unreal movie focusing on racial politics and a changing culture that has biting humor all over it. Once it was over though, I sprinted to my car. Sorta like Usain Bolt. I just couldn’t disappoint my mother on Mother’s Day.
The most films I saw in one day were four. But, thank God for my Taco Bell gift card, Cheez-Its and M&M’s. My stomach is still hurting from all of that….
So I leave you with this beauty—the location of the Nashville Film Fest, Regal Hollywood 27! See ya in 2019!
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick’s Full 2018 Nashville Film Festival Coverage
- Nashville Film Fest 2018: Lost In America Director Refuses To Reject Our Youth (Interview)
- Nashville Film Fest 2018 Recap: Documentaries
- Nashville Film Fest 2018 Recap: Movies
- Nashville Film Fest 2018 Review: Never Goin’ Back
- Nashville Film Fest 2018 Review: Thunder Road
- Podcast: Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth – Ep. 09: Recapping the Nashville Film Festival
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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