Film Fest Knox to Honor Tim Blake Nelson, Passes on Sale
August 18, 2026
FILM FEST KNOX will be held at the Regal Riviera in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, November 12–15, 2026. The fourth edition of the fest will honor acclaimed artist Tim Blake Nelson with the James Agee Prize and will showcase his work as an actor, writer, director, and producer of American regional cinema. Festival passes are on sale today, Tuesday, August 18, and are available for purchase. Festival passes are $100. VIP festival passes are also on sale for $275. Additional programming and ticketing options will be announced in the coming weeks.
Named for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, film critic, journalist, and poet, the James Agee Prize honors artists who have made significant contributions to American regional cinema. Nelson has devoted much of his career to smaller, more personal projects, and in recent years, that has included serving as producer on a growing number of films made outside of Los Angeles and New York City, including Old Henry (2021, Tennessee), Asleep in My Palm (2023, Ohio), Bang Bang (2024, Kentucky), and The School Duel (2025, Florida).
In recognition of this year’s honoree, FILM FEST KNOX will present a rare theatrical screening of Nelson’s Eye of God (1997), the Independent Spirit Award-winning story of a small-town waitress—played by Martha Plimpton in a stunningly great performance—whose pen-pal arrives after being released from prison.
Nelson will be presented with the James Agee Prize on Saturday, November 14 following a screening of his most recent film as both star and producer, The Leader, which premiered in June at the Tribeca Film Festival. Praised by Variety as a “fright film of the soul,” The Leader recounts the true-life story of the “Heaven’s Gate” cult and stars Vera Farmiga and Jim Parsons, along with Nelson.
About Tim Blake Nelson
Tim Blake Nelson is a celebrated filmmaker, writer and actor. As a writer-director, The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd marks his sixth film, joining The Grey Zone, Eye of God, Leaves of Grass, Anesthesia, and O. His filmography of over 100 on-screen credits includes The Coens’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Spielberg’s Lincoln and Minority Report, del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, Malick’s The Thin Red Line, and HBO’s Watchmen. He next stars in the feature The Leader and HBO’s Task season two. He is the author of the novels City of Blows and Superhero.
About James Agee
Born in Knoxville, James Agee (1909–1955) attended Harvard before launching his storied career as a film critic, first at The Nation and then at Time. Agee wrote in an essayistic voice and modeled a new kind of criticism, advocating for realism and personal style in American filmmaking. The poet W.H. Auden said of Agee’s criticism: “In my opinion, his column is the most remarkable regular event in American journalism today.”
Agee’s collaborations with photographer Walker Evans produced Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (1941), a groundbreaking depiction of Depression-era tenant farmers. Agee also wrote screenplays, including The African Queen(1951) and The Night of the Hunter (1955). His autobiographical novel A Death in the Family (1957), which recounts his childhood in Fort Sanders, won the Pulitzer Prize posthumously, cementing his legacy as a profound, lyrical voice of American regionalism.
FILM FEST KNOX wishes to thank Andrea Agee and the James Agee Trust for approving our use of his name.
Festival Passes
In addition to white-glove service and a gift box with a T-shirt voucher, VIP passholders ($275) will be able to attend the entirety of the festival, including all films, workshops, the VIP party, and VIP cocktail party, and they will have access to the VIP hospitality tent. Located on Gay Street in front of the Regal Riviera, the tent offers VIP passholders and guests of the festival a quiet spot to mix, mingle, and relax in between film screenings.
VIP Opening Cocktail Party – On November 12, VIP passholders are welcome to join us for an intimate evening at The Vault, a below-the-surface cocktail lounge reminiscent of old Hollywood.
VIP Opening Night Party – On November 13, VIP passholders are welcome to join us for a night of celebration and networking at the Five Thirty Lounge atop the Hyatt Place hotel.
Full festival passholders ($100) can attend the entirety of the festival, with the exception of VIP events and the VIP hospitality tent.
Festival attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase tickets for single showings. More details about showtimes will be published closer to the event dates.
FILM FEST KNOX is a producer-centric festival, acknowledging the invaluable contributions of a film’s creative producers who are often overlooked yet vital to the success of a project. Each year we welcome dozens of industry professionals to Knoxville. Attendees will experience an intimate festival environment with guest filmmakers in attendance.
For a complete listing of the benefits of both passes, and to make purchases, please visit filmfestknox.com/tickets. Additional programming and ticketing options will be announced in the coming weeks.
About Film Fest Knox
Launched in 2023 as an initiative of the Visit Knoxville Film Office, FILM FEST KNOX is an annual event that showcases and advocates for personal, ambitious regional cinema. In its brief history FILM FEST KNOX has received strong reviews from major industry publications, including Filmmaker, Film Comment, MUBI’s Notebook, and In Review Online. FILM FEST KNOX was recently named for the second time to MovieMaker Magazine’s prestigious “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” list.
Along with the James Agee presentation, FILM FEST KNOX hosts three film competitions. Made in Tennessee features new work by filmmakers throughout the Volunteer State and includes short films, features, documentaries, animation, and narrative films. The American Regional Cinema competition invites five narrative features that were made outside of L.A. and New York City to compete for three cash prizes and, more significantly, an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run in America, courtesy of Regal, the festival’s presenting partner.
The Elev8or Pitch provides further opportunities to filmmakers in East Tennessee and beyond. The Visit Knoxville Film Office hosted the Elev8or Pitch kick-off party at Scruffy City Hall on July 16, where teams in attendance reviewed the rules and regulations. Teams have until October 17 to produce an 8-minute proof-of-concept short film along with a 1-minute elevator pitch to illustrate their vision for a feature-length film. The top eight teams will pitch their films live in front of a panel of industry judges and a packed audience on the opening night of the festival, Thursday, November 12.
FILM FEST KNOX is an international event as well. The Currents program screens highlights from the world’s top festivals, showcasing the very best cinema that might not play in Knoxville otherwise. Revival presents a small selection of restored and overlooked films from the past, putting them in conversation with new work.