NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)–Music City might be known for its abundance of songwriters and musicians, but it’s also a melting pot of filmmakers, including many local and nationwide directors set to debut their work at the 53rd Nashville Film Festival.

The festival executive director, Jason Padgitt joined Local On 2 and talked more about the festival including over 150 film screenings. Anticipated films include “Big Old Goofy World: The Story of Oh Boy Records”, “Beautiful Beings”, “Unexpected“, and so many more.

“[It’s] just a great experience for anyone who loves film and want to get to know other people that love film in the city. It’s a very social festival,” Padgitt said.

The executive director said the festival is also one of the most respected independent film festivals in the nation, and often times award winners go on to become eligible for screenings at the academy level.

“It’s a gateway for films to get nominated. And for our Tennessee-made films and filmmakers, it’s a great launching pad for people to get a larger audience and to build a career. And [the Nashville Film Festival] is especially proud of that. And the quality of Tennessee-made features and shorts is really incredible,” Padgitt said.

Included at the festival is creator conferences, panels, musical performances, and special presentations such as “The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile”, an unexpected but delightful friendship between Country-Americana artist Tucker and Carlile, who worked together on Tucker’s long overdue and anticipated latest album decades after she left the music industry spotlight.

The festival runs September 29 to October 5th, and takes place at multiple locations in downtown Nashville, including the Belcourt Theatre, TPAC and Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tenn. To learn more about films and to get tickets, visit their website nashvillefilmfestival.org.