The SCAD Savannah Film Festival announced today that it’s 2020 edition will be fully virtual, following many fall festivals reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival will continue to include film premieres and interactive programming for virtual attendees in what has become the new normal. The line up will also feature the on-going series festival goers know and love from previous years including the Docs To Watch and Wonder Women series. Awards Daily will be covering the festival among many others throughout the fall.
Here is the full press release for today’s announcement.
Savannah, Georgia — The Savannah College of Art and Design announces the return of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival in an all-virtual presentation October 24–31, 2020. Audiences can connect with cinephiles worldwide as they experience live film premieres and unique, interactive programming from the comfort and safety of their homes. SCAD is an international leader in virtual learning and programming, approaching the challenges of COVID-19 with creativity and innovation. Aligning with the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2020 virtual presentation will continue the festival’s legacy of excellence with plans for gala premiere screenings, spotlights, competitions, events, and forums, including the Docs to Watch and Wonder Women series, as well as exclusive video messages from filmmakers, live Q&A events, and other original content. Ticket sales begin Thursday, October 1, at 10 a.m. ET, when the full schedule of programming is released.
As the largest university-run film festival in the U.S., the SCAD Savannah Film Festival is a distinguished stop on the road to the Academy Awards. SCAD has screened more than 125 Oscar-nominated films and honored more than 90 legendary actors, directors, producers, writers, and filmmakers. The festival’s competition films, panels, workshops, Q&As, and class visits unite these leading professionals with SCAD students across a range of degree programs including performing arts, film and television, dramatic writing, production design, sound design, and visual effects.
SCAD has prepared talented students for professional careers in the entertainment industry for more than 40 years and enrolls more than 5,000 students in top-ranked, nationally celebrated entertainment-related degree programs. The university has dedicated nearly 1 million square feet to the production of film, television, and other forms of entertainment, and operates the Savannah Film Studios, a 22,000-square-foot facility with three soundstages and state-of-the-art technology. SCAD is also home to the first and only university-run casting office.
SCAD students and alumni contribute to huge blockbusters, celebrated indies, and major studio films that receive top honors. At the 2020 Academy Awards, 230 SCAD alumni and students were recognized for their contributions to 21 nominated films, including A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Joker, Marriage Story, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Irishman, and The Lighthouse. Fifty-seven SCAD alumni worked as artists, animators, and compositors on the Marvel blockbuster Avengers: Endgame, which was nominated for the 2020 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Sixty-one SCAD alumni were honored for their work on films nominated for Best Animated Feature, including How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Missing Link, and Toy Story 4.
About SCAD: The University for Creative Careers
The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 academic degree programs in more than 40 majors across its locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCAD eLearning and SCADnow.
The university enrolls approximately 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 100 countries. The innovative SCAD curriculum is enhanced by advanced professional-level technology, equipment, and learning resources, as well as opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and collaborative projects with corporate partners. In 2019, the prestigious Red Dot Design Rankings placed SCAD as the No. 1 university in the U.S. and in the top two universities in the Americas and Europe for the third consecutive year. Career preparation is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate.
