The Tennessee 11 was one of seven feature films of the Volunteer State accepted into this Oscar-qualifying festival
August 15, 2024 (Nashville, Tennessee): The Nashville Film Festival, a week-long celebration of film, music, and culture, today announced that it has selected The Tennessee 11 for the 55th Annual Nashville Film Festival from September 19 to 25. This feature-length documentary, premiering Saturday, September 21, at 1:30 p.m.CT at the Regal Green Hills Theater, follows a group of ideologically diverse citizens in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville as they try to find common ground on one of the country’s most divisive issues: gun rights and safety.
Set in a state with the 11th highest firearm death rate in the nation, the film depicts how eleven strangers — who call themselves the Tennessee 11 (TN11) — were able to work together to develop concrete solutions to gun violence despite their different positions on guns. The TN11’s productivity and hard-earned respect for one another is juxtaposed against the state legislature’s stalemate on the same issue, culminating in a chaotic special session that took place only 20 miles away from where the film was shot.
The world premiere coincides with the one-year anniversary of Citizen Solutions, an award-winning civic experiment by Builders spotlighted in the film that gives citizens the power to co-create solutions to issues suffering from hyper-partisan gridlock. It was primarily shot during a three-day “solution session” hosted in collaboration with Convergence Center for Policy Resolution. It also features footage from the Tennessee 11’s visit to the State Capitol during the 2024 legislative session, during which they presented their solution proposals to a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
The Tennessee 11 is one of seven feature films made in, about, or by filmmakers from the Volunteer State accepted into this Oscar-qualifying festival. “We knew that the courage and compassion these 11 citizens displayed couldn’t live in the shadows. They’ve taken the microphone from the loudest, most divisive voices in politics and the media and don’t intend to give it back,” said Amelia D’Entrone, the film’s producer and the Head of Content at Builders. “We are hopeful that, in watching this film, Americans will feel empowered to choose problem solving over partisanship.”
“I’d be lying if I said walking into that room last year was an easy decision. The idea of finding common ground felt not only uncomfortable but also impossible,” said Tim Carroll, a firearms instructor from Harriman, Tennessee, and member of the TN11. “This film is a testament to the fact that we can solve problems without having to sacrifice our deeply held beliefs.”
Five proposals created by the Tennessee 11 received majority support after tens of thousands of Tennesseans weighed in on them during a public feedback period. Since then, a bipartisan bill resembling one of their proposals passed. The group’s work to hold leaders accountable to the will of the people is ongoing.
“In the aftermath of the Covenant shooting, it felt like our state was at an impasse. My heart hurt seeing families suffer from the effects of gun violence,” said Brandi Kellett, a member of the TN11 and college professor from Nashville who advocates for justice in her community. “After taking a leap of faith and spending time with people who fundamentally see this issue differently than me, my hope has been restored. I’m grateful that the Nashville Film Festival has chosen to spotlight nuanced dialogue that complexifies this issue as opposed to the binary, sensational storytelling that the media so often presents.”
Nashville Film Festival will host a second screening of The Tennessee 11 at the Historic Franklin Theatre on Tuesday, September 24, at 6 p.m. CT. To receive the latest updates on The Tennessee 11 premiere at the Nashville Film Festival, visit Tennessee11.com. Tickets for the film will be available to festival badgeholders starting August 16 and to the general public on August 19.
To receive the latest updates on The Tennessee 11 premiere at the Nashville Film Festival, visit Tennessee11.com. Tickets for the film will be available to festival badgeholders starting August 16 and to the general public on August 19.
To follow the TN11’s progress or to suggest your state for a Citizen Solutions session, visit citizensolutions.us.
About Builders
Builders is a national, nonpartisan movement equipping Americans to overcome toxic polarization and extremist thinking to solve our toughest problems. Builders does this by illuminating the causes and effects of toxic polarization, demonstrating the power of citizens working together across lines of difference, and activating Americans from all walks of life with the skills to become more effective problem solvers. In addition to more than three million followers, Builders is supported by nearly 300 ideologically diverse leaders across sectors from business, entertainment, academia, faith, sports, journalism, technology, and national defense. It is a project of Builders Network, Inc.
About Citizen Solutions
Citizen Solutions is a civic experiment that gives citizens across the ideological spectrum the power to co-create solutions to divisive issues. Led by Builders, a nonprofit working to overcome toxic polarization and extremist thinking, in collaboration with Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, an organization dedicated to bringing people together across differences to solve tough problems, Citizen Solutions offers a new model for people to discover common ground and drive policy change. The project is live in Tennessee on the topic of gun rights and safety and in Wisconsin on abortion and family well-being. To learn more, visit www.citizensolutions.us.
About the Nashville Film Festival
The Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm) is a globally recognized nonprofit organization and cultural event presenting the best in world cinema, American independent films and documentaries by veteran masters, up-and-coming directors, and first-time filmmakers. With Academy Award® qualifying status, the Nashville Film Festival celebrates innovation, music and the many voices of the human spirit through the art of film. Originally founded in 1969, the Nashville Film Festival is one of the first film festivals in the United States and will host its 55th festival from September 19 to 25, 2024. For a glimpse of what to expect at this year’s event, view this video to see highlights from the 2023 festival. For more information, visit www.nashfilm.org.
