The SCAD Savannah Film Festival was founded and is hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design to bring film industry talent and expertise to the students of SCAD and the greater Savannah community, in a relaxed environment that promotes education and a spirit of collaboration.
The festival enters its 23rd year with expanded shorts programming, additional slots for narrative and documentary features, and expanded international programming, in its continued pursuit of showcasing excellence in film making, while offering a diverse and enriching experience for the more than 63,000 attendees.
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival supports the spirit of independent film making by offering emerging talents a reprieve from the huge number of submission fees they face in their quest for exposure. The festival waives submission fees for student films until March 15, yearly. Animated shorts are also afforded a window of waived submission fees until April 1. Waivers for other categories are granted by invitation only.
One of the few film festivals founded by an arts college, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival showcases the very best in independent filmmaking, from feature-length films to two-minute shorts, running the gamut of cinematic creativity. Feature length films with compelling stories and shorts with a innovative approaches keep audiences engaged and hungry for more.
The beautifully restored Trustees Theater, built in 1946 in the heart of historic downtown Savannah, and part of the SCAD campus since 1998, is the premier venue for the festival, with a seating capacity of more than 1,100. Around the corner is the Lucas Theatre for the Arts, built in 1926, and serving as the companion festival theater, also seating close to 1,200. Both theaters feature Sony 4K digital projection, Spectral 240 silver screens for pristine 2D/3D imagery, as well as 35mm projection, and 7.1 Dolby Digital surround sound and RealD 3D capabilities at the Trustees Theater, projected by one of the top teams in film festival projection around the globe.
In addition to the competition films, the festival also screens award-winning studio releases ahead of their theatrical run. The festival honors leaders in the film industry, from directors and producers to actors, screenwriters, entertainment journalists and editors, before the evening gala screenings. Previous festival honorees include Hugh Jackman, Daniel Kaluuya, Elisabeth Moss, Alan Silvestri, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Alexander Payne, Mahershala Ali, Molly Shannon, Meg Ryan, Jeremy Irons, Gena Rowlands, Olivia Wilde, John Goodman, Matt Dillon, Stan Lee, Diane Lane, Lily Tomlin, Oliver Stone, Ray Liotta, Aaron Eckhart, Geoffrey Fletcher, Ellen Barkin, Liam Neeson, Sir Ian McKellen, Isabella Rossellini, Woody Harrelson, Arthur Penn, Michael Douglas, Roger Ebert, Kathleen Turner, Norm Jewison, Sidney Lumet, and Peter O'Toole just to name a few.
Savannah becomes a film lover's paradise during this week long event, with plenty of opportunities to take in the sights of one of the world's most beautiful cities. The festival offers a series of panels and workshops, informal coffee talks, with daytime and evening showings of narrative, animated and feature films. Master class workshops are presented by industry insiders who give pointers on everything from special effects to selling a film. Filmmakers selected for competition receive complimentary passes to attend the festival and are treated to unparalleled hospitality, including panel discussion participation and engaging networking opportunities.
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival awards "best of" category awards in every category.