The SCAD Savannah Film Festival is the largest film festival hosted by a university in the entire world — and it’s hosted right here, in Savannah’s Historic District, each October!
This highly anticipated annual event welcomes more than 60,000 guests to Savannah, GA, including award-winning actors and aspiring student filmmakers, to celebrate cinematic excellence with film screenings, workshops, panels, and gala events. Keep reading to learn all about the SCAD Savannah Film Festival — and learn how you can attend this year’s star-studded event!
History of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival was launched in 1997 by Paula Wallace, the president and founder of the SCAD College of Art and Design. Throughout its history, the festival has been committed to, first and foremost, connecting aspiring student filmmakers with the “best of the best” in the filmmaking industry, including directors, actors, producers, animators, composers, and costume designers.
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival has screened more than 200 films nominated at the Academy Awards in its lifetime. It has welcomed well-known and illustrious guests, including Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Sadie Sink, Miles Teller, Millie Bobbie Brown, Jennifer Hudson, Emily Blunt, Hugh Jackman, John Krasinski, Ron Howard, Sir Patrick Stewart, Mahershala Ali, among hundreds of other stars in the past decade.
Film Competitions, Screenings & Series at the Festival
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival selects around 100 films to be showcased at the festival from nearly 2,500 annual entries. Competitions are held in nine categories, including Animated Shorts, Global Shorts Forum, LGBTQIA+ Short Film Competition, Narrative Features, Shorts Spotlight, Documentary Features, Documentary Shorts, Professional Shorts, and Student Shorts.
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival also showcases various film series, including “Docs to Watch,” hosted by Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter, and “Pixels and Pencils,” hosted by Clayton Davis of Variety, which spotlight the top animated films of the year. These film series also include gala screenings of high-profile upcoming releases, signature screenings of the year’s top blockbuster films, and special presentations of not-yet-released films from the world’s leading filmmakers.
Panels & Workshops at the Festival
In addition to showcasing blockbuster and up-and-coming films, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival offers numerous opportunities for aspiring filmmakers to learn from industry leaders.
These panels and workshops span a wide range of topics — from creating special effects with modern software to exploring the behind-the-scenes careers of the artists who provided their talents in costume design, hair and makeup, production design, and visual effects for award-winning films.
Savannah Venues that Host the SCAD Savannah Film Festival
The film showings and events at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival are hosted at theaters, studios, and museums across Savannah’s Historic District, including Trustees Theater, Lucas Theatre for the Arts, Savannah Film Studios, SCAD Museum of Art, and Savannah College of Art and Design.
How to Attend the Upcoming SCAD Savannah Film Festival
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival usually takes place during the last week of October. Tickets and passes can be purchased on the festival’s website.
Passes include access to many (or all) of the events and screenings at the festival and range in price from $175 to $550 per person, depending on the level of access you’d like during the festival. Single-day tickets can be purchased for $10 per person to gain access to most films, panels, and events before 6 PM. Tickets for evening galas are available for $15 per person.
Stay with South Key Management for a Front-Row Seat to the SCAD Savannah Film Festival
Are you ready to watch some of the hottest movies and up-and-coming films this year while rubbing shoulders with well-known actors, directors, and producers at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival?If so, grab your pass to attend this iconic event this October — and book a charming, cozy vacation rental in the heart of all the action in Savannah with South Key Management. Browse our vacation rentals to see which home catches your eye to book for your upcoming trip to Savannah this fall!
