A current affairs documentary about 2020 filmed and produced by Belmont students will be shown on the big screen when the Nashville Film Festival hits campus on Monday.
“How did we get here? Nashville Surviving 2020” is the 32-minute play produced by a team of eight students, one of many films shown on campus as part of the festival. Belmont will serve as the second venue for four in the week-long event showcasing independent feature films, short films and work by college students.
Lauren Ponto, the festival’s programming director, said the work to be featured in the Johnson Theaters in Belmont was designed specifically for the student body.
“It was a combination of what students find most engaging: topical issues related to politics, race and history,” she said.
The Monday program kicks off with “Thistle,” a documentary about the Thistle Farms rehabilitation center for sexually trafficked women in the Nashville area.
Next will be the “Next-Gen Mixtape” compilation, which will include several short documentaries for students, including “How Did We Get Here?”
The documentary covers the past year and a half in Nashville and Belmont’s involvement in the challenges the city has faced. The article covers many events, including the tornado that hit Nashville in March, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christmas Day bombing in downtown Nashville and the presidential debate that took place. held on campus in October 2020.
The students who produced the documentary also highlighted interviews with prominent Nashville figures, including Mayor John Cooper.
“I think they did a fantastic job of putting all of these different incidents together and making it a great article about this exact moment in Nashville,” said Ponto.
After “Next-Gen Mixtape”, a selection of short and feature films.
“Beta Test”, a horror film, will be screened late at night, along with “Little Mum”, a film by the director of the Oscar nominated drama “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”, Céline Sciamma.
Comedy, politics, thrills: these films are curated for a college campus and designed to engage students.
Belmont students are involved in the event itself, with over 50 student volunteers helping the festival as it takes place on campus.
“Involving students has always been one of our goals, but we have also had challenges. We can provide students with as many tickets as we want, but sometimes the location is a barrier. Being on campus during school hours was a great way to try and increase student attendance, ”Ponto said.
Belmont students will be permitted to attend any screening at Johnson Theaters, space permitting, with their student ID card.
The Nashville Film Festival kicks off Friday in Rocketown and moves to Belmont University on Monday, continuing at Marathon Music Works on Tuesday. The festival will end on Wednesday at the Belcourt Theater.
The full schedule is available on the Nashville Film Festival website.
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PHOTO: The promotional poster for “How Did We Get Here? Courtesy of Belmont University and Ducklings Production.
This article was written by Margot Pierson.
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