Nashville, Tenn. (September 23, 2024) — The Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm) today announced the 55th annual festival’s award winners, including best films in each category and the winning scripts in the organization’s esteemed screenplay competition. “THE BLACK SEA,” directed by Crystal Moselle and Derrick B. Harden, was named Best Narrative Feature, while Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie’s “SUGARCANE” earned the Best Documentary Feature award; “SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED,’ directed by Isaac Gale and Ryan Olson, received Best Music Documentary honors, and Titus Kaphar’s “EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS” received the Best New Directors Feature. Additionally, in the shorts categories, “DREAMS LIKE PAPER BOATS,” directed by Samuel Suffren, was named Best Narrative Short, “SHOTPLAYER,” directed by Sam Shainberg, received the Best Documentary Short award, and “WANDER TO WONDER,” directed by Nina Gantz, was named Best Animated Short.
Additionally, “A MAN CALLED HURT: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT,” directed by Jamison Stalworth and Alex Oliver, was awarded Best Tennessee Feature, and “FIRST NIGHT,” directed by Haneol Lee, received Best Tennessee Short. Screenplay Competition winners include: A.D. Smith’s “R.E.G.G.I.N.” named Best Drama Feature Script; Elizabeth Baquet’s “BASS CHAMPS” and Jason Kaleko’s “EDGEPLAY” earned Best Comedy and Best Horror Feature Script honors, respectively; the Best Tennessee Writer was awarded to Phillip Charles for “I AM;” and additional honors for scripts were awarded in categories including Best Short Script, Best Half Hour Pilot Script and Best Hour Pilot Script.
Juries in each festival category named their best films for the 2024 Nashville Film Festival during an awards ceremony held at the Hilton Nashville Green Hills on Sunday, September 22, hosted by Nashville Film Festival Director of Programming Lauren Thelen. Winners of the Short Documentary, Short Narrativ, and Short Animation competitions qualify for Academy Award consideration. The complete list of film and script award winners can be found here and below.
“The festival has been an incredible journey of creativity and celebration leading up to the highly anticipated awards ceremony, and we’re excited to honor the winning films and visionary creators selected from over 150 outstanding entries at our 55th festival,” said Thelen. “For over 50 years, we’ve proudly supported the success of filmmakers, and we remain committed to fostering connections within Nashville and beyond, continuing to inspire and champion the creative community for years to come.”
“We are so proud to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of the filmmakers and screenwriters at the 55th Nashville Film Festival,” said Jason Padgitt, executive director of NashFilm. “It’s inspiring to experience such a vibrant collection of people and stories that are shaping and enriching our city’s cultural landscape.”
The 55th Nashville Film Festival winners are as follows:
- Best Narrative Feature: THE BLACK SEA | Dir. Crystal Moselle, Derrick B. Harden
- Best Documentary Feature: SUGARCANE | Dir. Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie
- Best Music Documentary Feature: SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED | Dir. Isaac Gale, Ryan Olson
- Best New Directors Feature: EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS | Dir. Titus Kaphar
- Best Tennessee Feature: A MAN CALLED HURT: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT | Dir. Jamison Stalworth, Alex Oliver
- Best Narrative Short: DREAMS LIKE PAPER BOATS | Dir. Samuel Suffren
- Best Documentary Short: SHOTPLAYER | Dir. Sam Shainberg
- Best Animated Short: WANDER TO WONDER | Dir. Nina Gantz
- Best 'Edge' Short: MAST-DEL | Dir. Maryam Tafakory
- Best Graveyard Shift Short: UNIVERSE 25 | Dir. David Tappan
- Best Tennessee Short: FIRST NIGHT | Dir. Haneol Lee
- Best Tennessee Student Short: WHAT SCARES A DINOSAUR | Dir. Tanner McAfee
- Best NextGen Student Short: DON’T YOU DARE FILM ME NOW | Dir. Cade Featherstone
- Best Music Video: CHAPPELL ROAN - CASUAL | Dir. Hadley Hillel
- Best Episodic: NEO-DOME | Created by Matt Pfeffer and Mark Pfeffer
The Nashville Film Festival Screenplay Competition winners are as follow:
- Best Drama Feature Script: R.E.G.G.I.N. | Written by A.D. Smith
- Best Comedy Feature Script: BASS CHAMPS | Written by Elizabeth Baquet
- Best Horror Feature Script: EDGEPLAY | Written by Jason Kaleko
- Best Genre Feature Script: THE MOST MARVELOUS MAN IN THE WORLD | Written by Khris Burton and Colin Scott
- Best Short Script: HOOD | Dir. Dante Desmond
- Best Half Hour Pilot Script: ANDI LAKE HAS THINGS TO DO | Written by Teri Elam
- Best Hour Pilot Script: DISPLACEMENT | Written by Toby Marks
- Best Tennessee Writer: I AM | Written by Phillip Charles
The 55th Nashville Film Festival continues through Wednesday, September 25, with screenings of the award-winning films playing at Regal Green Hills on Monday, September 23, in a “Best of the Fest” series. Additional screenings will take place at the Franklin Theatre, including Tennessee documentary features “LET THEM BE NAKED” and “THE TENNESSEE 11.” This year’s event closes at the historic Belcourt Theatre with Jeff Dupre’s “THIS IS A FILM ABOUT THE BLACK KEYS,” a deep dive into band members Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney's journey from a jamming session in a basement in Akron, Oh., to rock ’n’ roll super-stardom and a closing night party celebration at AB Hillsboro Village at 8 p.m.
About the Nashville Film Festival
The Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm) is a globally recognized nonprofit organization and cultural event presenting the best in world cinema, American independent films and documentaries by veteran masters, up-and-coming directors, and first-time filmmakers. With Academy Award® qualifying status, the Nashville Film Festival celebrates innovation, music, and the many voices of the human spirit through the art of film. Originally founded in 1969, the Nashville Film Festival is one of the first film festivals in the United States and will host its 55th festival from September 19-25, 2024. For more information, visit www.nashfilm.org.
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