NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — It’s that time of year again to roll out the red carpet and break out the popcorn. The 55th Annual Nashville Film Festival is back and bigger than ever with 150 film nominees from around the globe, with a line-up that’s as diverse as it is entertaining.
The festival’s opening night was Thursday, where it featured “Devo”, a film exploring the legendary “Whip It” band, and “Rebel Country”, a documentary exploring the radical changes in the genre of country music.
But aside from the headliners, it may be hard to decide which movies to watch out of the 150 screenings airing the next few days. I caught up with some of the actors and filmmakers that were nominated this year to hear about their films, the ones they are looking forward to, and why this festival holds a special place in their hearts.
“I love Nashville, and there’s a lot of film and TV coming here. It’s the 55th annual Nashville Film Festival and I think that’s incredible,” gushes the lead actor of the thriller “Catch a Killer,” Sam Brooks.
In “Catch a Killer,” we follow a 20-year-old who forged his GED to become the youngest detective in town, but after getting caught, gets kicked off the police force to find himself cleaning up crime scenes. What he finds out is that investigating crime may not need a title, just the willingness to find the truth. After suspecting that the recent murders in his town may all be connected, it’s up to him and his pregnant girlfriend to find out who the horror-film-loving culprit is.
Brooks is no stranger to the horror/thriller genre, starring in films like Netflix’s “Fear Street: Part Two,” “The Unraveling,” and “Malum.” But he does acknowledge that independent cinema, like “Catch a Killer,” requires a whole different frame of mind.
“It’s like going to a gym, because you might have three takes max and you’re shooting 100 something pages in 17 -20 days. In studio film you get to breathe a little more in indie [you get a] smaller crew and you’re hustling and going, you’re running and gunning it,” Brooks says.
Luckily, in a city like Nashville, a smaller crew you’re hustling with can have its perks, when that crew is also some of your friends.
“The crew that I’ve worked with on [Clone Cops] are great friends of mine, I’ve worked with them on short films as well as other projects,” says David Ditmore, an actor in “Clone Cops.” “So, being on set was sort of like a reunion because there were other actors there I had worked with”
On the other end of the genre spectrum is “Clone Cops,” a comedy, sci-fi, action film. We are placed in an alternate future, where law enforcement has been replaced by a clone security force, lovingly referred to as clone cops, made and distributed by a multinational business conglomerate. It’s up to our gang of outlaws to take them down, the problem is, they just keep on coming.
David’s role in the film as a “failed” clone is a Cronenberg nightmare, with a hand popping out of a place where it shouldn’t be, for example. But he loved playing the role.
“If you want to sit back and enjoy a great sci-fi film with a great comedy edge, this is definitely a film you’re going to want to check out,” David says.
I asked what it felt like to act in a film that was nominated at a festival he had been attending for years, and he says even when you don’t get the part in the movie or make the nomination for the festival, the film community in Nashville is always rooting for and supporting each other’s wins.
David goes on to say “and you never know if your film is going to make it into the festival. And especially the Nashville Film Festival, it’s an Oscar-qualifying festival, so they get submissions from all over the globe, so it’s always exciting when you get the word your film has made it in, not only because of the festival, but to be in your hometown so your friends and family can see.”
Another actor in “Clone Cops” is also the film’s producer, Phillip Cordell. He plays David’s character’s foil, he represents the perfect clone cop, so much so, all the clones in the movie are literally him.
“So the idea is that under every one of those helmets is this guy and we had a lot of fun with that. With makeup, prosthetics, composition shots, and all kinds of camera tricks to give that impression that I’m everywhere, all at once,” Cordell explains.
Cordell, prior to being the perfect clone cop, is known for the comedic streaming series “Nashville Dads Club.” He also had a hand in writing the film with it’s director, and his close friend, Danny Dones.
Dones also wears a lot of hats like Cordell in the entertainment sphere. Having originally been a prop master for 15 years, “Clone Cops” is his directorial debut. I asked if any of his prop magic would be seen in the film, he said “I thought one of the things we could do to set us apart from the other films is… I have all this equipment, I have all these props already. I know how to make all these fun, really cool props. So why don’t we build the film around the things we can make ahead of time and not have to spend a lot of money and time on.”
Dones and Cordell are both veterans of the Nashville Film Fest, I asked them to break down what to expect if you were showing up on scene for the first time this year, either as a filmmaker or patron. Would they be sitting in quiet theaters amongst even quieter critics? Or something more livelier and friendlier than one might think.
“Let’s set the scene Danny,” Cordell jokes, “you walk into a crowded room, people EVERYWHERE. Very noisy. And you see someone you know, and you go up to them and be like ‘Hey, this is wild huh?’ and that’s how it kicks off at the opening night party. As time goes on you meet other people you know and you’re bumping into new faces and before you know it, it’s turned into this melting pot, and hopefully, there’s not many people you haven’t touched base with. And in terms of building that community, that’s where it really starts.”
“Everybody thinks of a film festival as just a bunch of movies playing,” Dones adds, “but there’s so many great other things that are happening. There’s all these panels with all these really wonderful guests that are knowledgeable and can really tell you so much about how to make your movie, who to talk to. They cover so many topics from writing to producing to special effects, how to get money to have your film movie made which is HUGE.”
“VERY important,” says Cordell.
“Even if you don’t intend to see a single movie, it’s still a great opportunity to learn about making films and just rub elbows with experts.”
The Nashville Film Festival will be September 19 through 25. If you’re interested in attending one of the panels, check out the schedule here.
The schedule also includes every film’s summary, viewing location and showtime. But we will let you know “Catch a Killer” will be at Regal Green Hills Theater 16 on Saturday, September 21 at 9 p.m. and “Clone Cops” will be at Regal Green Hills Theater 2 on Friday, September 20 at 9:30 p.m.
Whether you’re new or returning this year, enjoy the cinematic magic and comradery at the fest this year, it’s one of the many spectacles that makes Music City picture perfect.
This post was originally published on here
