Lights, Camera, Nashville!

Welcome to Lights, Camera, Nashville!—a free, self-guided driving tour from Nashville Sites. While most people associate Nashville with hot chicken and honky tonks, it also has a surprising legacy as a backdrop for films, television shows, and music videos. You’ll visit filming locations from cult classics to major Hollywood features—like Robert Altman’s Nashville from 1975. You’ll stand before theaters that hosted cinematic milestones and pause at sites where historic venues once stood before being lost to redevelopment.

Since then, Nashville has made hundreds of screen appearances: Coal Miner’s Daughter, Walk the Line, and even The Matrix—which green-screened the Batman Building into its rooftop chase. River Phoenix gave his final performance in The Thing Called Love (1993). Jim Varney’s Ernest movies were all filmed here. And Nicole Kidman continues to bring major productions—like Holland and Scarpetta—to our backyard.

This tour is a partnership with the Belcourt Theatre—Nashville’s beloved nonprofit film center operating since 1925, with support from Tom Wills. It was written by Belcourt historian Teddy Minton with research assistance from MTSU grad student Amelie Andalle. We’d also like to thank the Nashville Scene. This invaluable publication has long been a go-to for film, music, and cultural reporting in the city since 1989.

Hi, I’m Demetria Kalodimos, and I’ll be your narrator on this journey. I’m a career journalist, documentarian, and musician. After decades in TV news, I now serve as Executive Producer at The Nashville Banner, and I also run Genuine Human Productions and The Filming Station—both dedicated to local storytelling.

Now a few road rules: don’t use your phone while driving. You can listen from your car or park and explore on foot. Snap photos, tag us @NashvilleSites, and click each stop’s cover photo to see full image galleries and captions.

I’ll end this introduction with a line from The Thing Called Love, a 1993 film shot right here in Nashville. In one memorable scene, Lucy—played by Sandra Bullock—says: “You know what they say: Nashville is full of talent. The trick is finding the star.”

This tour invites you to find the stars—past and present—that helped make Nashville one of the top entertainment destinations in the world. So, crank up that engine and let’s get going. We’re rolling. And… action!

Directions: Start the tour at the Belcourt Theatre, 2102 Belcourt Avenue. You can park in the lot adjacent to the building or find street parking. Either way, make sure you walk towards Hillsboro Village to see the original building façade and the historical marker celebrating 100 years of Belcourt magic. You can also pop into the lobby to see what shows are coming soon or what exhibit is on display.