Taylor Swift, who became a global superstar with her extensive music career, has had her journey documented in several concert films and documentaries.
From releasing her self-titled debut album at age 16 to traveling across the world for her latest record-breaking Eras Tour, the Grammy-winning artist has left quite an impact on the industry. Throughout her journey, she has enjoyed giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at her creative process in projects such as Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Journey to Fearless and Miss Americana.
She has also written and directed several of her own music videos, starting with her song “The Man” from her 2019 album Lover, as well as videos for “Cardigan,” “Willow,” “Anti-Hero,” “I Can See You” and more. She later helmed the short film for the extended version of her song “All Too Well,” which was released in 2021.
Swift previously spoke about her journey into filmmaking at the Toronto Film Festival in 2022, saying it took baby steps to get where she is today.
“I didn’t go to film school. I’ve been on the set of around 60 music videos and I’ve learned a lot from that process,” the singer recalled at the time. “But when I did it on my own, I really began to learn everything, because you have to.”
Most recently, she released a movie highlighting her Eras Tour, which ended up becoming the highest-grossing concert film of all time, earning more than $261 million worldwide.
Throughout the years, Swift has also made appearances in several popular movies and TV shows, including Valentine’s Day, Hannah Montana: The Movie, CSI and New Girl.
Below, The Hollywood Reporter has compiled Swift’s short films, documentaries and concert films that have been released throughout her music career so far.
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‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ (2023)
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Swift’s latest concert film, directed by Sam Wrench, allowed audiences to experience her record-breaking sixth headlining concert tour, which includes all of her musical eras from Fearless, Lover, Evermore, 1989, Speak Now, Reputation and more. The movie, currently available for rent on Prime Video and heading to Disney+ on March 15, also broke box office records.
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‘Journey to Fearless’ (2010)
Image Credit: Everett Collection In the early days of her music career, Swift took some of her earliest fans behind the scenes of preparing for her Fearless Tour, in support of her second studio album, in the 2010 miniseries. It was directed by Don Mischer and Ryan Polito.
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‘Taylor Swift: Dare to Dream’ (2020)
The documentary, directed by Jordan Hill, follows Swift’s journey to stardom, going all the way back to when she was just a girl with a dream to becoming a record-breaking artist. The movie takes a look at her as a songwriter as well as a savvy businesswoman who has built a music empire.
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‘Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour’ (2018)
Image Credit: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images The concert film showcases Swift’s second performance in Arlington, Texas, on her fifth headlining concert tour, the Reputation Stadium Tour. The movie not only features the songs from her 2017 album Reputation, but the singer also opens up about some of the challenges she faced at the time. It was directed by Paul Dugdale.
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‘Taylor Swift: Speak Now World Tour Live’ (2011)
Image Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images In support of her third studio album, Speak Now, Swift headed out across the globe for her world tour at the time. The film, directed by Ryan Polito, captures the singer performing some of her biggest hits, as well as featuring some insight and personal stories behind the songs.
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‘Taylor Swift: Just For You’ (2011)
The documentary, directed by Maureen Goldthorpe, takes a look at Swift’s songwriting process, from when she initially used it as an outlet to help cope with her teen troubles to writing smash hits on her past heartbreaks. The film also mentions some of the singer’s past loves that inspired some of her biggest songs, which helped her become the global superstar that she is today.
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‘The Real Taylor Swift: Wild Dreams’ (2021)
The documentary highlights Swift’s journey in the music industry, from her life in a small Pennsylvania town to becoming one of the biggest global musicians. The film includes performances from her tours, as well as interviews with her family and friends. It was written by Jordan Hill and Roxane Schlumberger.
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‘City of Lover Concert’ (2020)
Image Credit: Dave Hogan/ABA/Getty Images The short film, directed by Dan Massie, showcases Swift’s intimate fans-only concert in Paris, where she performed tracks from her 2019 album Lovers. It also features interviews with some of her biggest fans, revealing the scope of Swift’s impact.
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‘The 1989 World Tour Live’ (2015)
Image Credit: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images The concert film, which features Swift’s performance in Sydney, Australia, for her 1989 World Tour in 2015, also includes behind-the-scenes footage from the tour as well as rehearsal clips and special guest appearances. It was directed by Jonas Åkerlund.
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‘Folklore: The Long Pond Sessions’ (2020)
Since Swift wasn’t able to go on tour with her 2020 album Folklore due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the singer directed a film, which featured intimate performances of each of the 17 tracks from the album. She also reveals the stories and secrets behind each of the songs.
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‘Taylor Swift: From the Heart’ (2013)
After releasing her fourth album Red in 2012, the record that marked her transition from country to pop, the doc follows her journey as she continues to crush the charts and make her name globally known in both music genres. Alec Lindsell served as the director.
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‘All Too Well: The Short Film’ (2021)
Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images The short film, based on Swift’s song “All Too Well,” was directed and written by the singer herself. Starring Dylan O’Brien and Sadie Sink, the film follows a man and woman who fall in love, but slowly drift apart as problems arise in their relationship. The project accompanies the 10-minute version of Swift’s “All Too Well,” which was released with 2021’s Red (Taylor’s Version).
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‘Miss Americana’ (2020)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sundance The doc, directed by Lana Wilson, follows Swift’s life behind the scenes over the course of several years of her career. The film features raw footage and insight into experiences that have helped Swift grow as a person and artist in the music industry.