Opryland USA: A Circle Broken
Brandon Vestal · 2025 · 72 minutes
A nostalgic love letter and investigative deep dive into Nashville’s most beloved lost icon and America’s only “show park.” Opryland USA was a cultural landmark that shaped Nashville’s identity and put Nashville on the global map. Its sudden controversial closure continues to spark strong emotions nearly three decades later.
Brandon Vestal is a Nashville-based filmmaker and editor dedicated to preserving the stories that time tends to forget. His work in documentary has helped bring multiple award-winning films to life, culminating in his recent Opryland USA documentary, which earned NFF’s Best Tennessee Feature. Alongside his documentary work, Brandon partners with leading organizations to produce compelling corporate and live event films across the country. Whether working on stage or in the edit suite, he is driven by a belief that the most meaningful stories are often found in life’s quieter, less-documented moments—and that those moments deserve to endure.
Barry Amato began his career at Opryland USA in 1983 performing for six years in many of the live musical production shows. After Opryland, he performed at Dollywood theme park for four years. He then was director/choreographer for a variety of musical production shows there. This eventually led to him directing Dolly Parton’s family show, “My People, My Music,” which highlighted Dolly’s music and her musical family. In the interim, Amato also was a producer and on-air personality for The Nashville Network’s Wildhorse Saloon. He and his wife now write and produce “Country Tonite” in Pigeon Forge.