Beyond The Bridge: A Solution To Homelessness - Film + Conversation

Discover how business, civic, and community leaders can drive housing solutions in Nashville at this special screening and panel discussion.

The Beyond the Bridge Nashville Steering Committee cordially invites you to attend a special impact screening of A Bigger Vision Films’ -- BEYOND THE BRIDGE: A SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS.

LOCATION: Otter Creek Church - West End, 3534 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37205

DATE: Thursday, November 6

DOORS OPEN: 5:30 PM

FILM: 6:00PM

CONVERSATION: 7:30 PM

This is NOT just another film about homelessness - Beyond The Bridge has activated communities nationwide and now it's coming to Nashville.

Across the country, cities are building momentum around practical, proven solutions to homelessness, led not only by government but by business, philanthropy, and community partners who see housing as essential infrastructure.

Join us for a special Nashville screening of Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness, a powerful short film that explores how cross-sector collaboration has helped other communities reduce homelessness and restore opportunity.

Following the film, a live panel discussion moderated by Khalil Ekulona will highlight what it takes for the private sector to play a leading role in expanding housing and fostering inclusive growth here in Nashville.

This event invites business leaders, real estate professionals, philanthropists, faith communities, and civic partners to explore how we can work together to strengthen housing solutions across our city.

Panel Discussion & Speakers

Moderated by Khalil Ekulona, former host of This Is Nashville (NPR/WPLN)

Panelists include:

• April Burns-Norris - Community Bridges Inc. TN, "The People's Advocate"
• April Calvin - Director, Office of Homeless Services, Metro Nashville-Davidson County
• Matt Olson - Chief Operating Officer, Freeman Webb
• Delishia Porterfield, Councilwoman At Large, Metro Nashville-Davidson County

Why Attend

• Discover what’s working in other cities and how this aligns with local strategies and initiatives
• Learn how the private sector is helping scale housing solutions nationwide
• Connect with local leaders driving collaboration across sectors
• Explore opportunities for meaningful local impact

Who Should Attend

This event is designed for:

• Business and civic leaders who see housing as vital to Nashville’s future
• Developers, owners, and property managers shaping the local market
• Philanthropists and faith leaders seeking to support effective solutions
• Community members ready to move from concern to action

Our Goal

To inspire a shared commitment among Nashville’s public, private, and nonprofit sectors — aligning leadership, investment, and innovation to expand housing opportunity and strengthen our city’s future.

About the Hosts

This event is presented by Park Center, a Nashville nonprofit and regional leader in evidence-based supportive housing and recovery services.

The event is co-hosted by members of the Beyond the Bridge Nashville Steering Committee, a coalition of local leaders working to expand housing solutions and community collaboration. Partners include Freeman Webb, Councilwoman At Large Delishia Porterfield, Safe Haven Family Shelter, Community Bridges, Glencliff United Methodist Church, Open Table Nashville, and others committed to making real progress on homelessness in our city.

Together, we believe that when people have stable housing, communities thrive.

ABOUT THE BEYOND THE BRIDGE NATIONWIDE SOCIAL IMPACT CAMPAIGN

Throughout 2024 - 2026, the Beyond The Bridge team is traveling nationwide on a multi-city screening tour, with the goal of changing the national discourse on solutions to homelessness. Each screening event includes post-screening panels and Q&As, calls- to-action and follow-up activities for audience members, and the opportunity for community members to discuss, together, how they can begin addressing homelessness in their local communities. Ultimately, the campaign goals are to:

1. Change the narrative about people experiencing homelessness and promote solutions to the housing crisis
2. Inspire communities to develop a deeply collaborative homeless response system with housing and supportive services as the primary outcome
3. Build unity among homelessness advocates and amplify their message deep into the general public
4. Expand public involvement on the issue of homelessness

More info on the film: https://asolutiontohomelessness.com/

A Bigger Vision Films is an award winning film company - including the Stewart B. McKinney Award - for the tangible impact their films bring to communities nationwide.

The filmmakers traveled 44,000 miles coast to coast, studying the homeless response systems of 12 cities to answer one question: Is there a solution to homelessness where everybody wins?

They not only found that answer to be ‘yes’, they have successfully told the story how every municipality, big or small, can follow a proven blueprint to dramatically solve its homelessness crisis without over-sheltering and excessive police actions.

This is NOT just another film about homelessness - it's a community collaboration experience.

Beyond The Bridge provides a comprehensive and often entertaining analysis of the issue, and leaves audiences inspired and motivated to get to work.