Meet the Breakout Stars of SCAD Savannah Film Fest 2019

Megan McLachlan is in Savannah, Ga., for SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Oct. 26 through Nov. 2.

SCAD Savannah Film Festival’s breakout stars hit the red carpet on Wednesday, October 30 to talk about their exciting year in movies and television.

Twenty-two-year-old Jharrel Jerome, 2019 Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, talked about how he hopes When They See Us is remembered in 10 years.

“I hope that they remember that it’s still ongoing,” said Jerome. “Even 10 years later, it’s still happening. It’s an everyday struggle that we’re having a hard time beating. When They See Us coming out is just the beginning of a lot of awakening people should be doing. So in 10 years, I hope people don’t think, ‘Oh, that happened 10 years ago.'”

Camila Morrone, star of Mickey and the Bear, talked about playing a teenager taking care of her addict father.

“This is my first time being a true lead in a film, with the camera on my face the whole time,” said Morrone. “That was definitely a nerve-wracking experience. But also telling the story of Mickey and doing it justice. The opiate crisis is a big topic in the film. It touched on a lot of very sensitive and important things, which is why I decided to attach myself as fast as I could to the project.”

Mena Massoud (yes, Aladdin himself!) talked about the foundation he started to help ethnically diverse actors in Hollywood—the Ethnically Diverse Artists Foundation.

“Basically it’s to help establish artists who are struggling to establish themselves,” said Massoud. “I remember my days right out of theater school, and what I struggled with, getting head shots and paying for acting classes. All the basic necessities that you feel like you really need to have as an artist. Anything that an artist needs, that’s ethnically diverse, I want to be able to help them through this foundation.”

You ain’t never had a friend like him!

I also had a chance to catch up with the executive producers Isa Dick Hackett and David Scarpa of The Man in High Castle, which debuted its final season at the festival.

“It’s bittersweet, because we’ve all had such a fun time working together,” says Scarpa. “It’s been a phenomenal group of people. It’s been a personal labor of love for Isa [Dick Hackett], who’s been at it for 12 years.”

“Well I will say for this season, it’s an interesting time [we’re in],” says Dick Hackett. “It’s a provocative question to ask: What side of history will you be on? How will history remember you? And this is a question for each of our characters.”