"Nowhere Boy" to Open 2010 Nashville Film Festival
Biopic about a young John Lennon will kick off 41st edition of longest-running film festival in the South
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee - March 3, 2010 - "Nowhere Boy," a biopic exploring the childhood of a creative, spirited and curious John Lennon growing up in post-war Liverpool, will officially kick off the Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) when it takes place April 15-22, 2010 at Regal Green Hills Cinema. Directed by Sam Taylor-Wood in her feature-film debut, the film stars the Oscar-nominated Kristin Scott Thomas ("The English Patient," "Gosford Park," "Four Weddings and Funeral"), as Lennon's Aunt Mimi, and Aaron Johnson as the young Lennon. The film has already picked up significant acclaim in Great Britain, including several nominations for London Critics Circle Awards, British Independent Film Awards and BAFTA Awards. It had its International Premiere in January at the Sundance Film Festival.
 "What better way to kick off eight days of storytelling, creativity, collaboration and music than with a film celebrating the young life of one of the greatest artists in history of popular music," said Sallie Mayne, executive director NaFF. "It sets the bar high. We're excited to bring Nashville this film and the hundreds of other outstanding works we'll be announcing next week." According to artistic director Brian Owens, entries to the Festival reached a new level this year, with 2,216 feature-length and short films from 82 countries.
Films in the Narrative Feature Competition and First Time Filmmakers Competition were announced last month and are available now at NashvilleFilmFestival.org. A complete schedule of films, events and panels will be announced next week.
"Nowhere Boy," produced by the Weinstein Company, brings to life Lennon as a spirited teenager -- curious, sharp and funny -- growing up in the war shattered city of Liverpool in dreary post-war Britain. Two extraordinary sisters tussle for his love: Mimi, the formidable aunt who raised him from the age of five and Julia, the spirited mother who gave him up to Mimi's care. Yearning for a normal family, John escapes into art and the new music flooding in from the United States. His fledgling genius finds a kindred spirit in the young Paul McCartney. But just as Lennon's new life begins, the truth about his past leads to a tragedy he would never escape.
Patron
level memberships that include an All-Festival Pass, an invitation to the 2010
NaFF Patrons Party and priority seating at the Festival, can be purchased now
at NashvilleFilmFestival.org. Individual tickets for
the 2010 Nashville Film Festival will go on sale online in early April.
MEDIA CREDENTIALS
Members
of the media interested in attending the Festival and applying for media
credentials should put their request in writing to Joe Pagetta, Media Relations
Manager, at jpagetta@wnpt.net.
Requests should include complete name, title, affiliation and contact info,
intended type of coverage and expected publication or air date.
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About Nashville Film Festival
The longest-running film festival
in the South, NaFF also ranks among the most prestigious, continually
garnering accolades and notice from a wide range of entertainment and
trade publications, including the Associated Press, The New York Times,
The Wall Street Journal online, MovieMaker Magazine, Film Festival
Today, IndieWire, Variety, Billboard, New York and Script Magazine.
Between 2003 and 2009, NaFF' attendance numbers doubled, capped off
with a staggering 26% increase in festival goers between 2006 and 2007.
In 2009, nearly 23,000 film lovers, entertainment professionals and
industry insiders from all over the world made the trek to NaFF,
enjoying 258 films from 48 countries, incisive industry panels, music
showcases and spirited party mixers. Among the diverse group of
celebrities who have attended NaFF in the past either as film
presenters, award recipients or film fans are William Shatner, Hal
Holbrook, Vincent D'Onofrio, Sheryl Crow, William H. Macy, Vincent
D'Onofrio, Patricia Neal, Rob Thomas, Giancarlo Esposito, Ray McKinnon,
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Walton Goggins, Craig Brewer, Harmony Korine,
Al Gore, Nicole Kidman, Kiefer Sutherland, Kimberly Williams-Paisley,
Peter Falk, Paul Reiser, Patrick Swayze, Rick Schroder, John Waters,
Matthew McConaughey, Robert Redford, Harry Belafonte, Oprah Winfrey,
Michael Moore, Kevin Smith, Barbara Kopple, and D.A. Pennebaker.
Nashville
Film Festival is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and receives
funding from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, William
N. Rollins Fund for the Arts of The Community Foundation of Middle
Tennessee, The Memorial Foundation, Nashville Metro Arts Commission,
National Endowment for the Arts, Ragsdale Family Foundation, Tennessee
Arts Commission, and its generous patrons and sponsors.
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