Rolling green hills glisten in every direction beneath a pink Tennessee sky as the sun fades away. The air is still damp. The storm that threatened to ruin the evening only an hour earlier still drips from the trees and the barn eaves. In the distance, a few thick clouds remind us of their presence, but now it’s an old teal pickup that rumbles by under strings of popcorn lights. Inside the brightly lit barn, line dancers glide across the wooden floor while Dolly Parton karaoke echoes through the trees.

But this particular night, my view isn’t just another of God’s masterpieces. It’s the set of A Music City Story – a new feature film from SONY Affirm Films, being shot in and around Nashville. And based on my experience, this story will be something we haven’t seen before and could, if not redefine, broaden what we tend to think of as “Christian movies.”

A Music City Story stars actor and recording artist Moriah (MŌRIAH) Smallbone alongside her real-life husband, Joel Smallbone. Joel will be familiar to many audiences from films like Unsung Hero and Young Washington – but you’ve probably also heard of his other gig as half of the GRAMMY winning Christian recording duo for KING + COUNTRY.

As described in the film’s official press release:

Written off by Nashville as past her prime, struggling singer-songwriter Mo (Moriah Smallbone) walks away from her controlling manager and takes a chance on starting over. As she works to rebuild her career, she forms an unexpected connection with Ran (Joel Smallbone), a contractor whose encouragement helps her rediscover her faith, her voice and the courage to pursue the future she’s always believed possible. Together, they learn that every comeback starts with believing there’s another verse to write.

While this movie is not a traditional biopic, it draws its inspiration from the real-life experiences of Moriah, and her personal journey establishing herself as a female recording artist in Nashville. And it’s no fairy tale. This film doesn’t shy away from the darker parts of the music industry that others would ignore.

During a conversation on set, Moriah explained how deeply personal the story is for her, and her family:

[My] dad and I started a version of this story that was very different, but it all kind of started with us just wanting to spend time together and create something together. And to tell a story that was born out of our family. Family traumas. Experiences in church as a woman, and the women that I come from, the incredible amounts of abuse that they’ve had to experience and survive . . . And I think it’s been quieted and suppressed in our community for so long.

But lest you think this movie is meant to be a seething indictment against the music business, A Music City Story is ultimately about love, hope, and redemption. Like the storm that gave way to the beautiful evening surrounding us, the darkness exists only to make the light shine brighter.

Joel Smallbone made clear that this is unabashedly a love story – something mostly absent from Christian filmmaking:

Part of our responsibility as creators, whether it’s putting music on the airwaves or film or influencing, is to find stories that represent and resonate with the gospel that haven’t been told yet. And one of the things that struck us when we first started talking about it is…where are all the love stories?

Like we’re telling the greatest love story the world has ever known. And this whole idea of the bride and groom, like it’s written into the gospel, it’s written into the good news. It’s Jesus’s great allegory.

Another element that may set A Music City Story apart is the production itself. Shooting this film became a living act of service. In the movie, Joel’s character is restoring a dilapidated church. The church you’ll see is not a Hollywood set. It’s Nashville’s Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, a breathtaking 174-year-old Nashville landmark that had fallen into disrepair. A fact the production used for the purposes of storytelling and funded the real-life restoration of the church.

Now, Holy Trinity will live on, not just on film – it will continue to stand, serving the people of Nashville for generations to come.

Under the leadership of director Adam Anders (Journey to Bethlehem) who also co-wrote the screenplay with his wife Nikki Anders, and veteran producer Kevin Lowndes (I Can Only Imagine, Jesus Revolution), filming is expected to wrap later this summer ahead of a planned Fall 2027 release.

The film will include a soundtrack of original songs crossing multiple genres from country to Latin.

A Music City Story looks to tell a different Nashville story – of music, culture, love, and redemption. From what I’ve seen and heard, this film should absolutely be on your radar.

Check out the official Instagram page @amusiccitystorymovie to follow the production and receive updates.

 

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