The 56th Nashville Film Festival is coming up, and I am excited to attend in person for the first time. It’s one of the oldest festivals in the United States, featuring nearly 150 films from around the world! This includes feature films, shorts, documentaries and, of course, plenty of music programming. Q&As, industry panels and social events are also part of the program, creating a lively space for creativity and connection in the heart of Music City. 

At the end of the festival, the Best of the Fest and Audience awards are presented following the weekend of film screenings. My particular interest lies in the New Directors Feature category because I enjoy experiencing the passion that new filmmakers infuse into their work. 

I’ve always been a strong supporter of small businesses, and I see this category as a kind of extension of that support and respect. While most of the new directors in this category have created some short films, making a full-length feature is an entirely different challenge. 

Here are the films I am excited to see that fall into the new director category:

Fucktoys / Directed by Annapurna Sriram

Shot in 16mm, the movie follows a young woman named AP. Somehow, a curse is put upon her. Promised to be lifted by a psychic for $1,000, she makes her way into Trashtown to make some quick cash to abolish the curse.

This film won the Special Jury Award for a Multi-Hyphenate at South by Southwest this year. But with a name like Fucktoys, it deserves an award just for that!

Described as “a sexy dark comedy” and “a campy romp,” it instantly piques my interest, especially if you know my taste in films. I have a soft spot for anything campy and over-the-top, so the description alone resonates with me. Campy is my middle name, baby!

36-year-old Annapurna Sriram, who was raised in Nashville, wrote, directed and produced this film. She’s also listed in the cast. I’m excited to see a hometown gal return to her roots to premiere her first full-length feature!

Watch the trailer here.

Peacock / Directed by Bernhard Wenger

Matthias works for a company called MyCompanion: a network that hires people to fill any social role you might need, including “the perfect son” or “enlightened boyfriend.” But his life begins to spiral out of control when he can’t tell fiction from reality.

This is a social satire comedy by Austrian-born Bernhard Wenger. He has received numerous awards for his short films, including Excuse Me, I’m Looking for the Ping-pong Room and My Girlfriend (I mean, how can it not be award-winning with a title like that?).

At 33, this is his first full-length feature film, and I’m excited to see it. The blurb describes it as exploring “the masks we wear in the pursuit of human connection.” That is something many people can relate to, so I expect it will be an enjoyable and comical experience.

The Other People / Directed by Chad McClarnon

Rachel marries single dad William and gains an 8-year-old stepdaughter, Abby. When they move into their new home, Abby befriends a boy who hides in the dark corners. As stress begins to tear apart their home, Rachel must find a way to overcome the terror that hangs over them.

This is a feature from Tennessean and first full-length filmmaker Chad McClarnon. The script was co-written with his brother, Trey, whom I know from Lambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee! Shout out to Sigma Phi Epsilon, the fraternity Trey was a part of, and where many of my friends joined. 

Not only is horror my favorite genre but watching these two brothers’ dreams come to life in this film brings me immense joy. Their journey and the anticipation of what’s next for them make me even more eager to see this movie and experience their story unfold.

Watch the trailer here.

Idiotka / Directed by Nastasya Popov

Margarita lives in West Hollywood’s Russian immigrant neighborhood. She gets the chance to appear on a fashion competition reality show called Slay, Serve, Survive. This requires her to share her life with the world, which is less than glamorous given her living conditions. 

The SFFILM Invest Lab, a prestigious program that offers funding and development support aimed at fostering emerging talent in the global filmmaking community, selected this script by writer-director Nastasya Popov for further development. This opportunity is designed to help promising projects gain momentum and reach broader audiences. 

Idiotka is a comedy-drama film that explores the current climate surrounding immigrants, which aims to provoke thought and discussion about the challenges immigrants face and the perceptions they encounter. I’m excited to see the message she wants to share and hopefully enjoy many stylish looks along the way. 

Did I mention Julia Fox is in it? Because she is!

Slanted / Directed by Amy Wang

Joan Huang is a Chinese-American teenager who wants to be popular. To achieve this, she seeks the prom queen title while also making some extreme changes… including racial modification surgery. 

Slanted sounds like a genre-bender because it is described as a “thriller, comedy, drama, coming of age, sci-fi” film. I’m getting a The Substance vibe. Could there also be hints of body horror? Only time will tell. 

Amy Wang recently won the Grand Jury Award for her narrative feature at South by Southwest. She says she faced many obstacles, including crippling self-doubt, to reach this point. It’s so inspiring to see how she pushed through the pain and made her filmmaking dreams a reality. 

Mckenna Grace also stars in this, and I love her from the recent Ghostbusters movies (Afterlife and Frozen Empire).

Supporting these small artists is vital because they sustain the vitality and progression of cinema. Their new works introduce unique stories which might not be possible in mainstream blockbusters. They enhance the film industry by pushing boundaries, taking risks and opening doors for emerging voices. 

Overall, smaller independent films serve as a platform for expanding horizons and exposing audiences to a wide range of diverse perspectives that may differ from one’s own personal experiences or cultural background. That’s why I am so attracted to this category of emerging talent — because it offers fresh, innovative storytelling that challenges conventional narratives and broadens our understanding of the world. 

The Nashville Film Festival runs from September 18th to 24th, offering a variety of tickets for screenings of independent and international films, engaging panels with industry experts and social events that encourage networking among attendees. 

Get your tickets now to enjoy this lively celebration of film, and I’ll see you at the movies!