Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter and Lee Ann Womack
Narrative and Documentary Features, REEL Current Award Nominees and Music Films/Music City Also Announced
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – March 3, 2009 – Hal Holbrook and Dixie Carter, together with cast mates Walton Goggins, Ray McKinnon, Barry Corbin and Carrie Preston, will be in attendance when their Tennessee-made film, THAT EVENING SUN, makes its Southern United States premiere at the Nashville Film Festival (NaFF), April 16-23, 2009 at Regal Green Hills Cinema. The film’s director, Scott Teems (Death in the Woods), will also attend.
Of special interest to country music fans — and making its Southeastern US premiere at the Festival — will be directors Dan McMellen and Brett Moses’s NOBLE THINGS, in which country superstar Lee Ann Womack makes her feature-film acting debut starring as Chief Deputy Claire Wades. Joining Womack, McMellan and Moses in attendance will be the film’s co-stars, Michael Parks and Dominique Swain.
Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, the Festival has also announced its lineup of narrative and documentary features that will be in competition, including several World and US premieres and numerous Tennessee premieres. Among narrative features making their US premiere at the Festival are PACHAMAMA (Toshifumi Matsushita, Bolivia, Japan, US) and I WAS HERE (René Vilbre, Estonia). Those making their Southern US premieres include KISSES (Lance Daly, Ireland); MOTHERS & DAUGHTERS (Carl Bessai, Canada); ORDINARY BOYS (Daniel Hernandez, Morocco, Spain); POUNDCAKE (Rafael Monserrate, USA); SORRY, THANKS (Dia Sokol, USA); VACATION (Hajime Kadoi, Japan); WEATHERGIRL (Blayne Weaver, USA): and the previously announced TRUE ADOLESCENTS (Craig Johnson, USA).
“I’m proud to say that this year we had a record 1,983 entries from 86 countries,” said Brian Owens, NaFF artistic director. “I think the lineup we’re close to announcing will reflect the continued commitment to diversity at the Festival, and celebrate the amazing films being made around the world by inspired filmmakers.”
Four documentary features will make their World Premieres at the Festival and vie in the documentary competition presented by The Documentary Channel: EMPRESS HOTEL, by Oscar winners Irving Saraf and Allie Light, USA; HOUSE OF NUMBERS (Brent Leung, USA); THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LENS (Reed Cowan, USA): and the previously announced WILLIAM SHATNER’S GONZO BALLET (Patrick Buckley, Kevin Layne, USA), which will screen on Friday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m.
Documentaries vying for the REEL Current Award, presented by Nobel Peace Prize winner, author and former Vice-President of the United States, Al Gore, to a film screening at NaFF that provides extraordinary insight in a contemporary global issue, are BIG RIVER MAN, (John Maringouin, USA); CRUDE (Joe Berlinger, USA); GARBAGE DREAMS (Mai Iskander, Egypt, USA); and UPSTREAM BATTLE (Ben Kempas, Germany).
Owens has also announced the lineup for the popular “Music Films/Music City” category at the Festival. Those films include World Premieres of ANY DAY NOW (Jeff Wyatt Wilson, USA) and THE HEART IS A DRUM MACHINE (Christopher Pomerenke, USA) and the Southeastern US premiere of ROCK PROPHECIES (John Chester, USA). Other highlights include AMERICAN HARMONY (Aengus James, US); AMERICA’S LOST BAND: THE REMAINS (Michael Stich, USA), with The Remains in attendance; ASHES OF AMERICAN FLAGS: THE WILCO TOUR FILM (Brendan Canty, Christoph Green, USA); and GOGOL BORDELLO: NON-STOP (Margarita Jimeno, USA).
A complete list of narrative and documentary features and “Music Films/Music City” films is available at NashvilleFilmFestival.org. 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 at NashvilleFilmFestival.org April 7.
