Welcome to Shelbyville

Promo (:26)
Clip 1 (3:04)
Clip 2 (2:33)
Clip 3 (2:46)

  • About the Film

    A Somali man in a traditional kufiya, gestures as he speaks to an assembled group of townspeople, while an older Hispanic man looks on.

    On the eve of the 2008 election, the town of Shelbyville, Tennessee finds itself embroiled in a struggle to come to terms with a new wave of immigrants and grappling with what it means to be American.

    Visit Shelbyville >>

    Check TV listings >>

  • Director’s Statement

    A Hispanic couple stands in their living room, hands over their hearts, while watching the Presidential inauguration of Barack Obama on television.

    Filmmaker Kim A. Snyder set out to document immigration’s impact in rural America, but realized that the 2008 Presidential election presented the unique opportunity to trace the nation’s history of immigration and integration as it had manifested in a single town.

    Read about her vision >>

  • From the Blog

    Director Kim A. Snyder

    Shelbyville Director Tackles Race, Immigration, and What it Means to Be American

    Kim A. Snyder is an award-winning filmmaker who has made more than a dozen shorts and two feature documentaries. Her latest film, Welcome To Shelbyville, premiered on Independent Lens Tuesday, May 24.

    Read the interview >>

  • Talkback

    Ramon, a young Hispanic boy from Shelbyville, looks upward at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

    Have you ever moved to a new town or a different country and experienced challenges fitting in and being accepted? What does “being American” mean to you?

    Tell your story >>