The 54th Nashville Film Festival wrapped up Wednesday, the culmination of a seven-day event that showcased independent film ranging from hometown features and shorts made in Tennessee to cinema throughout the world.

A trio of films with theatrical distributors were among the films highlighted, and while all three were uniquely distinct, they did feature one thing in common – strong female lead performances in a compelling story.

“Flora and Son” (B) is the latest from writer/director John Carney, the man behind “Once,” “Sing Street” and “Begin Again.” Once again Carney uses music as a backdrop for a feel-good character study about Flora (Eve Hewson), a single mom living in Dublin with her 14-year old son, Max (Orén Kinlan).

Looking for a way to connect with Max, Flora finds an acoustic guitar in the dumpster and gets it refurbished for him. But when Max rejects the gift, Flora decides to use it herself, taking online guitar lessons from a California man named Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levett).

The wonderful thing about Carney’s script is “Flora and Son” never goes in the direction you think it is going to go – always taking unique turns that really gets the audience emotionally invested.

Hewson’s performance holds it all together, a complicated turn that makes Flora a relatable character just looking for a better life for herself and her son. “Flora and Son” is now available on streaming on Apple+.

In “I Used to Be Funny” (B), Rachel Sennott plays Sam, a stand-up comedian suffering from PTSD who used to be the nanny for a teenage girl named Brooke (Olga Petsa). When Brooke goes missing, Sam considers joining the search – a decision that forces her to come face-to-face with her crippling trauma.

Writer/director Ally Pankiw plays “Funny” close to the vest, using flashbacks to slowly reveal what happened to Sam (although the audience will likely put the pieces together quicker than the reveal, making the pacing a little off).

Even with that minor setback, the film still works because of Sennott. Already a proven comedic actress with “Bottoms” and “Shiva Baby,” Sennott shows she has dramatic chops in “I Used to Be Funny,” bringing Sam’s pain and anguish to life quite effectively. It’s a film that cements Sennott’s status as one of the brightest new stars in the film industry.

“I Used to Be Funny” will be released theatrically with the date to be determined.

The final film “Eileen” (B-) is also headlined by one of the industry’s most interesting young actresses, Thomasin McKenzie from “JoJo Rabbit” and “Last Night in Soho.”

Set in New England in the 1960s, McKenzie plays the title character, a show young woman living with her alcoholic father (Shea Whigham in a strong supporting role) while working at a local prison.

When a new counselor named Rebecca (Anne Hathaway) arrives, Eileen strikes up a friendship with the woman – one that grows more complicated with each encounter.

Based on a novel from Ottessa Moshfegh, who co-wrote the film with Luke Goebel, “Eileen” is a film that starts in one genre before slowly peeling the onion away to reveal a deeper and darker story.

Hathaway and McKenzie work well together, making their developing relationship believable and grounded in reality, with McKenzie really delivering a complex turn of a woman battling her own demons.

Director William Oldroyd does make some creative decisions that don’t always work as well as he might have been aiming for, but ultimately it makes the journey effective enough that it is sure to illicit conversation from audiences afterwards.

“Eileen” is slated to be released in early December.