500 Days of Summer
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, an offbeat romantic comedy starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and directed by Marc Webb, will officially kick off the 40th anniversary of Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) April 16-23, 2009 at Regal Green Hills Cinema.
Following its premiere at Sundance and appearance at SXSW, Nashville will mark only the third screening of the film and its Southeastern U.S. premiere. In the film, 
Deschanel (Almost Famous, Elf, All the Real Girls) plays Summer, a young woman who doesn’t believe true love exists. Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From the Sun, 10 Things I Hate About You, Brick) stars as Tom, the hopeless romantic that falls for her. When Tom, a greeting card copywriter, is blindsided after Summer breaks up with him, he shifts back and forth through various periods of their 500 days together to try to figure out where things went wrong. His reflections ultimately lead him to rediscover his true passions in life. Webb is scheduled to attend.
Joining (500) DAYS OF SUMMER on opening night will be the U.S. premiere of CAPTURING REALITY: THE ART OF DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING and a special presentation of THE LONELY, a documentary film about the making of Harmony Korine’s MISTER LONELY, that Korine is scheduled to attend. CAPTURING REALITY is the first of many films vying in the documentary competition presented by The Documentary Channel.
As previously announced, NaFF will world premiere WILLIAM SHATNER’S GONZO BALLET (Shatner pictured), a film chronicling the quest by the Milwaukee Ballet to create a new work based upon Shatner’s critically acclaimed album, Has Been. The film, by directors Patrick Buckley and Kevin Layne, will screen on Friday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m. with Shatner, composer and Has Been producer Ben Folds, Milwaukee Ballet choreographer and director Margo Sappington and country music star Brad Paisley scheduled to attend.
Other notable guests scheduled to attend the festival this year and join the multitude of filmmakers accompanying their films to Nashville, include Oscar and Golden Globe nominated actress Kathleen Quinlan (Apollo 13, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden) and cast mates Jay O. Sanders, Troy Hall and Kevin Logle, who will attend the Southeastern U.S. premiere of their Rafael Monserrate-directed, heartwarming dysfunctional family comedy, POUNDCAKE. Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, Walton Goggins, Ray McKinnon, Barry Corbin and Carrie Preston will be in attendance when their Tennessee-made film, THAT EVENING SUN, makes its Southeastern U.S. premiere, as will Michael Parks, Dominique Swain and country stars Lee Ann Womack and Tracy Byrd – all part of directors Dan McMellen and Brett Moses’s NOBLE THINGS.
For the fifth year, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Vice-President of the United States, Al Gore, will present the REEL Current Award to a film screened at NaFF that provides extraordinary insight in a contemporary global issue. Irving Saraf and Allie Light, the filmmakers behind the Academy Award winning documentary IN THE SHADOW OF THE STARS, will be in attendance for the world premiere of their new film EMPRESS HOTEL.
A retrospective screening of EASY RIDER, also celebrating its 40th Anniversary, will close the festival on Thursday, April 23, and be followed by a party at the Cannery Ballroom with Nashville institution The Long Players, who will pay tribute to the music from EASY RIDER.
In total, the 2009 edition of the Nashville Film Festival will include 258 Films from 45 nations and territories.
“I think it’s really a testament to the respect that this Festival has earned around the world that we have so many World, U.S. and Southeastern U.S. Premieres,” said Sallie Mayne, NaFF executive director. “At the same time, we’re committed to the diversity and celebration of this community, with family friendly shorts, two programs of Tennessee films, GLBT shorts, and film programs and receptions for Hispanic and Black filmmakers, to name just a few of our special events and programming.”
Film fans who are not able to attend the Festival are encouraged to tune in to NaFFTV at NashvilleFilmFestival.org http://www.nashvillefilmfestival.org each day of the festival for video interviews and recaps of all the Red Carpet and event activities.
A complete list of narrative and documentary features, shorts, and “Music Films/Music City” films is available at NashvilleFilmFestival.org. A complete list of films and events, and a schedule, will be posted to the web site in the weeks ahead. Patron Memberships that includes a Festival Pass can be purchased now at NashvilleFilmFestival.org. Individual tickets for the 2009 Nashville Film Festival will go on sale online in early April.
Images from flickr.com/nashvillefilmfestival.
