The SCAD Savannah Film Festival was founded and is hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) 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 27th year with expanded studio premieres, shorts programming, and international films in its continued pursuit of showcasing excellence in film, while offering a diverse and enriching experience for the more than 65,000 attendees.
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival supports the spirit of independent film 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 largest university run film festivals in the world, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival showcases the very best in independent filmmaking, from feature-length films to five-minute shorts, running the gamut of cinematic creativity.
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 1921, which serves as the companion festival theater and also seats 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 projected by one of the top teams in film festival projection around the globe.
In addition to 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 Kevin Bacon, Ava DuVernay, Hoyte van Hoytema, Peter Sarsgaard, Ron Howard, Eddie Redmayne, Mia Goth, Janelle MonĂ¡e, Nicholas Hoult, Henry Selick, Sandy Powell, Kenneth Branagh, Adrien Brody, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, Millie Bobby Brown, Hugh Jackman, Elisabeth Moss, Daniel Kaluuya, Ethan Hawke, Billy Crystal, Alan Silvestri, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Mahershala Ali, Molly Shannon, Meg Ryan, Jeremy Irons, Glen Keane, 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, and 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 engaging networking opportunities.
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival awards "best of" category awards in every category.
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival LGBTQ+ Shorts Competition presented by Amazon MGM Studios will present a $10,000 jury-awarded prize for Best Overall Film and a $5,000 prize for the Audience Award. See category information for more details.
The Katie Spikes Legacy Scholarship is a jury-awarded cash prize of over $2,500, awarded to a SCAD Student short film, documentary or narrative format, showcasing storytelling excellence. See category information for more details.