Savannah Film Festival 2016
The Savannah Film Festival is an annual event organized and presented by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). The festival was created in hopes of making film industry talent and experience more accessible to students of SCAD and Savannah residents.
For over 20 years, the Savannah Film Festival has been one of Georgia’s esteemed film festivals. Every year, more than 40,000 people attend the eight-day film fest to experience the cinematic talent of both industry experts and talented student filmmakers. The festival continually seeks to ignite passion for the art of filmmaking by showcasing excellent works and expanding the boundaries of cinematic creativity.
The Savannah Film Festival also supports emerging independent filmmakers by waiving costly submission fees that are usually incurred when trying to get more exposure.
The 2016 Savannah Film Festival will take place from October 22 to 29.
Historical venues
Built in 1946, the Trustees Theater is one of downtown Savannah’s historic landmarks, and is a part of the SCAD campus since 1998. The beautifully restored theater serves as the premier venue for the Savannah Film Festival, with a capacity of more than 1,100 seats.
Situated around the venue is the Lucas Theatre for the Arts, the companion theater for the festival. Built in 1926, the theatre can accommodate a crowd of over 1,200.
Both theaters boast state-of-the-art equipment, with features that include Sony 4k digital projection, Spectral 240 silver screens for crystal clear 2D/3D imagery, RealD 3D capability, and 35mm projection. During the festival, top film projection teams from around the world are also invited to take part in the event.
Advanced studio releases
In addition to the featured competition films, the Savannah Film Festival also highlights the newest studio releases by screening them ahead of their official theatrical release. The festival honors the top names in the film industry by inviting renowned directors, producers, actors, screenwriters, entertainment journalists and editors, and more.
Previous festival honorees include well-known personalities such as:
- Alfie Allen
- Ellen Barkin
- Matt Bomer
- Matt Dillon
- Natalie Dormer
- Michael Douglas
- Roger Ebert
- Aaron Eckhart
- Geoffrey Fletcher
- Milos Foreman
- Ben Foster
- John Goodman
- Woody Harrelson
- Jeremy Irons
- Norm Jewison
- Diane Lane
- Stan Lee
- Ray Liotta
- Sidney Lumet
- James Marsden
- Sir Ian McKellen
- Liam Neeson
- Peter O’Toole
- Alexander Payne
- Arthur Penn
- Isabella Rossellini
- Gena Rowlands
- Meg Ryan
- John Sayles
- Oliver Stone
- Miles Teller
- Lily Tomlin
- Kathleen Turner
- Olivia Wilde
Paradise for film enthusiasts
Throughout the eight-day festival, film lovers can enjoy a wide array of different activities along with plenty of opportunities to take in the sights of the beautiful city of Savannah. Workshops, informal coffee talks, panel discussions, and screenings of narrative, animated, and feature films are scheduled throughout each day. Several industry insiders also host master classes and workshops that cover everything from special effects to marketing films.
To find out more about the Savannah Film Festival, visit the festival’s official site.
