“Songs from the Circle” Director David Freid at the 57th Nashville Film Festival on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
“Songs from the Circle” was a documentary about the Grand Ole Opry crossing the Atlantic to play at the Royal Albert Hall on its 100th anniversary. The film showed Saturday night at the 57th Nashville Film Festival.
One hundred years after its founding, the Grand Ole Opry took with it the storied wood circle that country performers stand on when performing. Director David Freid attended the sold out North American Premiere. Also present was a longtime (34 years) employee of the Grand Ole Opry and a sold-out crowd.
The film featured Luke Combs, Mumford & Sons, Darius Rucker, Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Marty Stuart and the Scottish band Breabach.
Following the showing of “Songs from the Circle” Director/Songwriter Richiourse James Follin appeared with “Crystal Cross,” his directorial premiere.
The quirky comedy featured a suicidal father (played by Follin himself) who picks up a Christian evangelical blonde on the lam from her boyfriend (RubyRose Hill) and accompanies her to California. Follin, who has written music for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”,plays James, a suicidal dad whose drunk driving caused his young daughter’s death. The pair begin to bond on the long road trip, which features many of the sites where Follin and his band used to perform.
Cinematographer Mauro Fernandez deserves special mention, as some of the footage of the ocean and fields of flowers were breathtaking. The footage was woven into a loose story of a friendship that slowly blossoms into something more.
Following the screening, Follet shared how he found his leading lady (she was serving ice cream in L.A. at the shop he took his daughter for a cone), and how Editor Peter CabadaHagan trimmed the footage (which initially was four hours long) and turned it into a respectable first directorial effort.
Director/Songwriter Richie James Follin at the showing of “Crystal Cross” at the 57th Nashville Film Festival on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
The song sung by RubyRose Hill (“I’m in love with a suicidal Jesus. God only knows where this road leads us”) was catchy. Follet’s remarks in the Q&A after the film stressed calling in favors to finish the film. Follett took advantage of the opportunity to use many out-of-work professional filmmakers during the Writers’ Strike.
Follet’s work with music videos (including on “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) gave him film experience, which he described as “my film school.” Follett composed the score. He also thanked Director Nick Simon, an AFI film school grad mentored by Wes Craven, who was in the audience Saturday night at the 57th Nashville Film Festival.