Nashville Film Festival

What Nashville Film Festival does

Nashville Film Festival (operating as NashFilm) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts advocacy organization founded in 1969 in Nashville, Tennessee. It is one of the first film festivals in the United States and the longest-running in the South, currently preparing its 57th annual festival for September 24-30, 2026. The organization runs a 7-day annual festival showcasing nearly 150 films from around the globe, complemented by Q&A sessions, industry panels at the Creators Conference, pitch competitions, and networking events. It holds Academy Award qualifying status for narrative, animated, and documentary short film categories, and offers $100,000 in cash and in-kind prizes to filmmakers.

The business model is a hybrid of multiple monetization streams. Direct revenue sources include VIP badge and ticket package sales (with 15% early-bird discounts), film and pitch competition entry fees, NashFilm Membership subscriptions, and a script coverage service starting at $25 per development review. Indirect revenue sources include corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and grants from organizations such as the Tennessee Arts Commission and Metro Arts. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (Christopher Barkley appointed Board President in April 2025) and led by Executive Director Jason Padgitt, with a small full-time team in the 11-50 employee range supplemented by seasonal programming staff.

Beyond the core festival, NashFilm operates year-round community programming. This includes the Living Reel Project (a 22-year youth music/filmmaking partnership with Youth Villages and Moraine Music Group), Education Programs serving Metro Nashville Public Schools (1,000+ students reached in the past year and a third annual Summer Film Camp at Frist Art Museum), Movies in the Park outdoor screenings in partnership with Nashville Scene, the new NashFilm Episodic Competition (a partnership with Catalyst Story Institute), and the Nashville Creative Sustainability Summit. Distribution leverages premier Nashville arts venues (Belcourt Theatre, Franklin Theatre, Regal Green Hills, TPAC, Vanderbilt venues) plus a virtual cinema channel. The organization has been recognized on MovieMaker Magazine's "50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" list for three consecutive years (2023-2025).

Name

Nashville Film Festival

Legal name

Nashville Film Festival

Website

https://nashvillefilmfestival.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 1969 that runs the longest-running film festival in the U.S. South. It serves global independent filmmakers, Nashville audiences, students, and musicians through an annual 7-day festival, year-round education programs, and a coverage services business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling VIP badges, individual tickets, and packages for the annual festival events, screenings, and special presentations
2. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorships supporting the festival and its programs, with partners like Amazon mentioned in historical context
3. Memberships: Annual membership program offering exclusive perks like early access to tickets, special discounts, and invitations to advanced screenings and events
4. Coverage Services: Script coverage services providing feedback to screenwriters, with services starting at $25 for development coverage
5. Donations and Grants: Donations from individuals and grants from organizations like Tennessee Arts Commission supporting year-round initiatives and education programs. NashFilm is a 501(c)(3) arts advocacy organization.
6. Film Competition Entry Fees: Entry fees for film, screenplay, and pitch competitions that generate revenue while attracting quality submissions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm) organizes an annual 7-day film festival in Nashville showcasing nearly 150 films from around the world, with Q&A sessions, industry panels, parties, and networking events. It supports filmmakers through film, screenwriting, and pitch competitions offering $100,000 in cash and in-kind prizes, and operates year-round programs including script coverage services, education screenings, summer film camps, and the Living Reel youth music/film project.

Product overview

The Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm) operates as a comprehensive film festival and arts organization offering multiple interconnected products and services. The core product is the annual 7-day Nashville Film Festival featuring nearly 150 films, Academy Award qualifying competitions, and industry events. Supporting the festival are VIP Badges & Ticket Packages for attendance, Film and Pitch Competition entries for filmmakers, and the Creators Conference for professional development. Year-round initiatives include Education Programs with summer film camps and school screenings, the Living Reel Project for teen music filmmaking, Movies in the Park outdoor screenings, and Coverage Services for script feedback. The organization also offers NashFilm Membership for ongoing community engagement and sponsorships for brand partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nashville Film Festival (Annual 7-Day Festival) The annual 7-day film festival showcasing nearly 150 films from around the globe, with Q&A sessions with filmmakers, industry panels, parties, and networking opportunities for creatives and film fans. The 57th edition runs September 24-30, 2026, and is Academy Award qualifying in short film categories.
• VIP Badges and Ticket Packages
• Film Competition Entries
• Screenwriting Competition Annual screenplay competition accepting scripts across multiple categories including drama, comedy, horror, genre features, short scripts, half-hour pilot, hour pilot, and Tennessee Writer categories, with winners announced at the festival and cash prizes.
• Pitch Competition Competition for episodic and feature film pitches where finalists present their ideas live before an audience and industry judges at the Creators Conference.
• NashFilm Creators Conference Industry panels and professional development event held annually during the festival, featuring film and music industry professionals in sessions that support creators' career development.
• NashFilm Coverage Services Script coverage service providing professional feedback on screenplays from industry professionals, with services starting at $25 for development coverage to help screenwriters improve their drafts.
• Living Reel Project Year-round program partnering with Youth Villages and Moraine Music Group to provide under-served teens with a creative outlet to write, compose, and record original songs in professional studios, with films documenting the process premiering at the annual festival. Operating since 2004.
• Education Programs Year-round education initiatives including education screenings for Metro Nashville Public School students (reaching over 1,000 students in the past year), the Summer Film Camp for teens in partnership with Frist Art Museum, and study guides for educators.
• Movies in the Park Free outdoor movie screening series held on Thursday evenings in June at Elmington Park, presented in partnership with Nashville Scene. Family-friendly community events featuring local food trucks and games.
• NashFilm Membership Annual membership program offering exclusive perks including early access to tickets, special discounts, invitations to advanced screenings and events, and year-round community connection opportunities for film enthusiasts.
• Nashville Creative Sustainability Summit Year-round event focused on creative sustainability topics for filmmakers and industry professionals, hosted as part of the festival's year-round programming.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Youth VillagescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Annual partnership with Youth Villages on the Living Reel project, providing underserved teens with creative outlet to write, compose, and record original songs in a professional studio while being documented by professional filmmakers.
• Moraine Music GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNashville-based music publisher partner for Living Reel project, supporting teen songwriting and music creation program since 2004.
• Frist Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Summer Film Camp (third annual in 2026), where teens work with teaching artists to create films in one week. Films screened at Frist Art Museum during Teens Take the Frist event and 57th Nashville Film Festival.
• Nashville ScenecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual presenting partner for Movies in the Park outdoor movie series at Elmington Park.
• Belcourt TheatrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey festival venue partner hosting festival screenings, opening night, and closing night events.
• Regal Green HillscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFestival venue partner for screenings throughout the festival.
• Franklin TheatrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHistoric Franklin venue partner for special screenings and Tennessee program films, including post-screening Q&As.
• Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFestival venue partner for screenings and events.
• Catalyst Story InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch NashFilm Episodic Competition, a two-day showcase of independent television, podcasts, and web series.
• New Heights Brewing CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor movie screening venue for Minari screening in partnership with Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE).
• Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month outdoor movie screening of Minari; $1 per pint donated to NICE.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nashfilmfest
• Facebookfacebook.com/nashfilmfest
• Instagraminstagram.com/nashfilmfest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nashville Film Festival