The Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm), a week-long celebration of film, music and culture, will return for its 54th annual event from Sept. 28-Oct. 4 with film screenings, post-film Q&As with filmmakers, industry panels, live music showcases social events and more.

This year, an expanded offering of film screenings is slated to take place at several arts venues in the Music City area including the historic Belcourt Theater, Regal Green Hills, the Franklin Theatre, Vanderbilt’s Rothschild Black Box Theater and Sarratt .

Founded in 1969, NashFilm is one of the country’s longest-running film festivals. Filmmakers from across the country and around the world will head to Nashville to showcase more than 125 film screenings of feature-length and short films across every genre, including independent films and documentaries by veteran masters, up-and-coming directors and first-time filmmakers. To further embrace the reputation of Music City, the festival has also introduced a new music video category for the 2023 event.

“We are proud to bring an unforgettable experience celebrating the innovation and immense talent of the filmmakers, screenwriters and music makers of our global and local arts landscape,” says Nashville Film Festival Executive Director Jason Padgitt. “With over fifty years of sharing films with Nashville audiences, we are excited to continue building a community of film lovers in some of the most impressive venues throughout the area.”

NashFilm will host events and programs that highlight the many aspects of filmmaking, including: a Screenwriting Competition (Sept. 28-Oct. 4); a Music Supervisors Program (music industry panels and workshops – Sept. 28-Oct. 2); the Creators Conference (film and music industry panels – Sept. 29-Oct. 2); and live music performances and new artist showcases throughout the week.

“We’re excited to present a vibrant line-up of films to audiences right here in Tennessee as part of the 2023 festival,” says Director of Programming Lauren Thelen. “With new competitions and categories, we’re continuously working to provide the community with more diverse programming and perspectives across a variety of genres.”

Additional films, programs and special events will continue to be announced throughout the summer. The full slate of films and programs selected for the 54th Nashville Film Festival will be announced in August.

The newly created Music City Host Committee, made up of Nashville business leaders and chaired by former Tennessee Governor and current majority owner of the Nashville Predators Bill Haslam, has been tasked with helping book major events for the newly approved enclosed stadium entertainment complex and raising private funds to support them.

On the top of their list will be booking the Super Bowl, 2031 NCAA Men’s Final Four and college football National Championship.

“I am excited about what the new stadium can mean for Nashville and the State of Tennessee. Our committee intends to make sure the stadium is the home of great events that will generate excitement and revenue for years to come,” says Haslam. “I am thankful to the NCVC for their work in making Nashville a global events city, and I appreciate these business leaders for their dedication to ensure the stadium benefits the city, local businesses and residents.”

Mayor John Cooper requested that the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) immediately start booking events for the stadium once it was approved by the Metro Council in April. Most major sporting events and large conventions are booked several years in advance.

Deana Ivey, NCVC President and incoming CEO, and Scott Wright, NCVC Senior Vice President, Sales, will serve as ex-officio members.

“We know that hosting major global events will require from $10 million to $50 million each in private funds, and we are grateful these leaders stepped up to help strategize on which major events to go after and help raise the money we will need once Nashville is chosen,” says Ivey. “With an enclosed stadium, new hotels and a compact downtown campus, Music City is finally situated to host the world’s biggest meetings and events.”

Members of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp Music City Host Committee include the following:

Chair, Bill Haslam, Former Governor of Tennessee and Owner, Nashville Predators
Beth Chase, Entrepreneur and Founder, C3/Consulting
Eric Church, Country Music Artist
Eddie George, Head Football Coach, Tennessee State University
John Ingram, Majority Owner, Nashville SC, and Chairman, Ingram Industries Inc.
Kevin Lavender, Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Banking, Fifth Third Bancorp
Cary Mack, Managing Partner, Southwest Value Partners
Rob McCabe, Chairman, Pinnacle Financial Partners
Stuart McWhorter, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development
Burke Nihill, President & CEO, Tennessee Titans
Howie Nuchow, Co-Head, CAA Sports
Colin Reed, Executive Chairman, Ryman Hospitality Properties
Butch Spyridon, Outgoing CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, and Strategic Consultant
Ben Weprin, Founder & CEO, AJ Capital Partners
Marcus Whitney, Founding Partner, Jumpstart Health Investors, and Minority Owner, Nashville SC
Carol Yochem, President First Horizon Bank, Middle Tennessee Region

Oklahoma-based country singer-songwriter and rapper Blake Fades has signed with Average Joes Entertainment.

Blake Frasier, better known as Blake Fades, has already garnered over eleven million worldwide streams during his independent career with singles such as “Wave” and “TBH.” The 32-year-old artist first gained recognition during the pandemic after posting his music to social media, with videos like his recent remix of Morgan Wallen and Ernest’s “Cowgirls,” which has pulled in almost two million views on Instagram alone.

Transitioning from his roots in hip-hop to embrace a blend of rock-infused elements and the twang of country-rap, Fades is blurring genres with his new singles produced by Dylan Maloney, “Drowning On You” and “Pesos.”

“Man! It’s been a long time coming,” shares Fades. “I’m very excited about what we’re doing and the new sound we’ve created. I think Average Joes is a perfect place for me because they’re used to doing things that are out of the box, and I’m definitely an artist that likes mixing it up. Time to run it up and make history!”

Taylor Swift has released a re-recorded version of her third album, Speak Now, with some special “From the Vault” tracks that didn’t make the original cut.

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) includes fresh versions of the 16 tracks originally featured on the 2010 project, along with “From the Vault” songs featuring Fall Out Boy and Hayley Williams from Paramore.

On the album, Swift teams with Aaron Dessner once again as co-producer on the vault tracks “Electric Touch,” “When Emma Falls in Love” and “Foolish One.” Jack Antonoff also co-produced three songs with Swift, including “Castles Crumbling,” “I Can See You” and “Timeless,” and the remainder of the project was co-produced by Christopher Rowe.

“It’s an album I wrote alone about the whims, fantasies, heartaches, dramas and tragedies I lived out as a young woman between 18 and 20,” Swift wrote on socials. “I remember making tracklist after tracklist, obsessing over the right way to tell the story. I had to be ruthless with my choices, and I left behind some songs I am still unfailingly proud of now. Therefore, you have 6 From The Vault tracks! I recorded this album when I was 32 (and still growing up, now) and the memories it brought back filled me with nostalgia and appreciation. For life, for you, for the fact that I get to reclaim my work. Thank you a million times, for the memories that break our fall.”

Before the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Swift previewed the song “Back to December (Taylor’s Version)” in a trailer for the new season of Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) Track Listing:
1. “Mine”
2. “Sparks Fly”
3. “Back to December”
4. “Speak Now”
5. “Dear John”
6. “Mean”
7. “The Story of Us”
8. “Never Grow Up”
9. “Enchanted”
10. “Better than Revenge”
11. “Innocent”
12. “Haunted”
13. “Last Kiss”
14. “Long Live”
15. “Ours”
16. “Superman”
17.”Electric Touch (feat. Fall Out Boy)”
18.”When Emma Falls in Love”
19.”I Can See You”
20.”Castles Crumbling (feat. Hayley Williams)”
21.”Foolish One”
22. “Timeless”