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, Nov 17 | Seminar at 7:00pm, Film at 8:00pm

Seminar: The History of The Opry at Belcourt + NASHVILLE REBEL (35mm)

As the Grand Ole Opry grew into a national institution, it spent seven formative months on our stage — then the Hillsboro Theatre. This seminar revisits the Opry’s brief but pivotal stay at the Belcourt (1935–1936), correcting the historical record and exploring its enduring impact on Nashville’s cultural and filmmaking identity while honoring the shared centennials of two Tennessee icons: the Opry and the Belcourt Theatre. Includes a screening NASHVILLE REBEL (35mm) immediately following at 8:00pm.

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

Encores: Fri, Jun 27 at 9:45pm | Sun, Jun 29 at 2:30pm

ERNEST SCARED STUPID (35mm)

Local garbageman Ernest P. Worrell and his dog Rimshot face off against an ancient troll menacing the children of Briarville, MO in this Halloween-set, East Nashville-shot slab of ‘90s kindertrauma –– the last entry in the Ernest feature film franchise to be produced entirely in Tennessee. Part of Nashville: A City On Film

Mon, Jun 23 at 8:00pm

STOKER

Park Chan-wook’s English-language debut features a chilling performance by Nicole Kidman and striking cameos from local landmarks and talent — and blends Southern Gothic atmosphere with psychological suspense in a visually rich, morally twisted thriller. Part of Nashville: A City On Film

Sat, Jun 28 at 9:45pm

GUMMO

Nashville’s own neighborhood The Nations got its first breakout role playing Xenia, Ohio in the directorial debut from Harmony Korine — a dazzling and disruptive tear through teenage anomie and a portrait of the city like no other. Part of Nashville: A City On Film

Encore: Sat, Jul 12 at 9:10pm

EXISTO

In the future where art is illegal, Existo leads a rebellious army of cabaret performers in the fight against theocratic repression with riotous — and very funny, deft — songs. Filmed and produced in Nashville, EXISTO is a local cinema classic whose satirical voice remains timely, eerily prophetic — and defiantly alive. Part of Nashville: A City On Film

Nashville: A City On Film

Seminar: The History of The Opry at Belcourt + NASHVILLE REBEL (35mm)

NASHVILLE

Nashville: Hick Flick, U.S.A.

THE THING CALLED LOVE (35mm)

GIRL FROM TOBACCO ROW

NEIL YOUNG: HEART OF GOLD

ERNEST SCARED STUPID (35mm)

STOKER

GUMMO

EXISTO

In Theatre

Today

Monday, Nov 10

Tuesday, Nov 11

Wednesday, Nov 12

Thursday, Nov 13

Friday, Nov 14

Saturday, Nov 15

Sunday, Nov 16