Nashville: A City On Film

This June marks the Belcourt's 100th birthday — and our 25th year as a nonprofit. To commemorate, we launch 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 interesting ways. This initial series highlights just eight such titles — but it’s only the beginning. In other words, watch this space!

Mon, Jan 5 at 2:20pm, 8:00pm

HEARTWORN HIGHWAYS

Marking its 50th anniversary, HEARTWORN HIGHWAYS captures the rise of Outlaw Country through intimate portraits of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle and others. Filmed in Texas and Nashville, it traces the genre’s raw, rebellious roots within the city’s evolving history in American roots music culture.

Mon, Jan 12 | Seminar at 7:00pm, Film at 8:00pm

Seminar: A History of Nashville’s Film Culture: A Century of Filmmaking in Music City + RANCHO DELUXE

Tracing a century of filmmaking in and about Music City, this seminar explores how Nashville became both a subject and a site for American cinema. From Southern stories to music-driven productions, it also highlights Belcourt's enduring role in shaping — and showcasing — the city’s evolving film culture. Includes a screening of RANCHO DELUXE immediately following at 8:00pm.

Encores: Fri-Sun, Jan 23-25

YOU GOT GOLD: A CELEBRATION OF JOHN PRINE

Capturing a star-studded tribute to the legendary songwriter filmed in October 2022 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, YOU GOT GOLD brings together acclaimed artists, friends and family to share behind-the-scenes stories and perform classic songs, honoring John Prine's enduring legacy.

Mon, Jan 26 at 2:00pm, 8:00pm

DEAD POETS SOCIETY

Directed by Peter Weir and written by Nashville native Tom Schulman, DEAD POETS SOCIETY stars Robin Williams as a teacher who inspires students to defy conformity. Featuring Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard, the story draws from Schulman’s experience at Montgomery Bell Academy, shaping the film’s Nashville themes and setting.

Mon, Feb 2 at 2:50pm, 8:00pm

AT CLOSE RANGE (35mm)

Inspired by true events, James Foley (GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS) directs Sean Penn and Christopher Walken as a father-son-duo caught in a violent crime ring. Filmed just outside Nashville, the film blends Southern noir with Brat Pack-era sincerity, featuring Mary Stuart Masterson and Kiefer Sutherland.

Encores: Thu, Jul 3 at 4:50pm | Fri, Jul 4 at 12:30pm

NASHVILLE

In its 50th anniversary, NASHVILLE serves as a fitting kick-off for the Belcourt’s own 100th anniversary. A panoramic view of political and cultural landscapes set in the milieu of 1970s Nashville, Robert Altman’s cornerstone film weaves the stories of 24 characters — from country star to wannabe to reporter to waitress — into a cinematic tapestry that’s equal parts comedy, tragedy and musical. Part of Nashville: A City On Film and Weekend Classics: Altman at 100

Sat, Jun 7 | 10:00–11:00am

Nashville: Hick Flick, U.S.A.

Nashville: Hick Flick, U.S.A. explores the city’s 1960s–’70s exploitation film scene, where low-budget Southern stories met national audiences through drive-ins and neighborhood theaters. The program traces the legacy of these films into the 2000s—from the Ernest franchise to Harmony Korine—and their lasting ties to Belcourt's own history. A Belcourt 100 Seminar

Mon, Jun 9 at 8:00pm

THE THING CALLED LOVE (35mm)

Relocating to Nashville from her native New York, a singer/songwriter hopeful (Samantha Mathis) lands a job at the Bluebird and falls in with a new group of friends and musicians — navigating romance, auditions, and writer sessions in early ‘90s Music City. Local cameos and time capsule locations abound in Peter Bogdanovich’s 1993 drama. Part of Nashville: A City On Film

Wed, Jun 11 at 8:00pm

GIRL FROM TOBACCO ROW

After a botched prison escape, Snake (Earl Richards) heads to Antioch with a tip about hidden loot from a chipper mill heist. There, he takes refuge with his late cellmate’s family, but the mob isn’t far behind! Part of Nashville: A City On Film

Mon, Jun 16 at 8:00pm

NEIL YOUNG: HEART OF GOLD

Nearly 20 years ago, Neil Young assembled a band of long-time associates and took to the stage of Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium to perform the music from Prairie Wind for the first time. Etched in amber and forever enshrined on film, Jonathan Demme’s 2006 film stands as an exquisite paean to the muse that calls the Mother Church “home.” Part of Nashville: A City On Film

Nashville: A City On Film

HEARTWORN HIGHWAYS

Seminar: A History of Nashville’s Film Culture: A Century of Filmmaking in Music City + RANCHO DELUXE

YOU GOT GOLD: A CELEBRATION OF JOHN PRINE

DEAD POETS SOCIETY

AT CLOSE RANGE (35mm)

NASHVILLE

Nashville: Hick Flick, U.S.A.

THE THING CALLED LOVE (35mm)

GIRL FROM TOBACCO ROW

NEIL YOUNG: HEART OF GOLD

In Theatre

Today

Wednesday, Jan 21

Thursday, Jan 22

Friday, Jan 23

Saturday, Jan 24

Sunday, Jan 25

Monday, Jan 26

Tuesday, Jan 27