Out of 2,100 submissions, a selection of 99 films competed; top honors went to ‘Slow Light,’ named Best Animated Short in the professional competition, and ‘Close Your Eyes,’ named Best Student Animation.
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) revealed the award winners for its 26th annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival.
The event screened 167 films, including 51 narrative feature films, 16 documentary feature films, 100 short films, and 11 world premieres and four U.S. premieres.
Out of over 2,100 submissions, 19 awards were announced from the 99 films chosen to compete in competition categories, which included Narrative Features; Documentary Features; Professional Shorts; Animated Shorts; Documentary Shorts; Student Shorts; Shorts Spotlight; Global Shorts Forum; and the SAVFF LGBTQIA+ Short Film Competition presented by Amazon MGM Studios.
The award winners are as follows:
Professional Competition
- Best Animated Short – Slow Light, directed by Katarzyna Kijek and Przemysław Adamski
- Best Director – Smoking Tigers, directed by So Young Shelly Yo
- Best Documentary Feature – Bad Press, directed by Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler
- Best Documentary Short: Unique Courage – Mayan Softball Revolution, directed by Michael Zimbalist
- Best Documentary Short: Lessons of Hope – Seeds of Change, directed by Maximilian Armstrong
- Best Narrative Short – The Old Young Crow, directed by Liam LoPinto
- Best Narrative Feature – At The Gates, directed by Augustus Meleo Bernstein
- Documentary Shorts: Best of Show – Mayan Softball Revolution, directed by Michael Zimbalist
Student Competition
- Best Narrative Student Short – The Fuse, directed by Kevin Haefelin
- Best Student Animation – Close Your Eyes, directed by Manon Bérardengo, Audrey Defonte, Léo Depoix, Denis Koessler, Clémentine Laurent, Pierre Guislain, and Chloé Boursier
- Best Student Documentary Short – Just Jacob., directed by Halle Losordo (SCAD Student Film)
- Documentary Shorts Jury Award – The Local Hero Award: Lessons of Hope – God’s Love Split (SCAD Student Film)
- Student Animated Shorts Jury Award – Excellence in 2D Animation: The Sun Is Bad, directed by Rachel Mow (SCAD Student Film)
- Student Narrative Shorts Jury Award – Excellence in Directing and Acting: Blue Hour, directed by J.D. Shields
Global Shorts Forum
- Global Shorts Forum Best of Show – Our Males and Females, directed by Ahmad Alyaseer
- Best Global Short: Beyond Identity – Hafekasi, directed by Annelise Hickey
- Best Global Short: Rocking the Cradle of Civilization – In the Garden of Tulips, directed by Julia Elihu
Shorts Spotlight
- Shorts Spotlight Best of Show – Mira, directed by Eva Louise Hall
- Best Shorts Spotlight: A Kaleidoscope of Connections – Tom & Cinda, directed by Eva Neuwirth
- Best Shorts Spotlight: Family Fun – Morning Joy, directed by John Henry Hinkel
- Best Shorts Spotlight: Horrors in Plain Sight – Mira, directed by Eva Louise Hall
- Shorts Spotlight Jury Award: Excellence in Craftsmanship – Lovebugs, directed by Teddy Alvarez-Nissen
The 2023 festival's professional jury included Seth Fradkoff (publicity principal, Amazon MGM Studios), Migizi Pensoneau (writer and producer), Jeanie Pyun (deputy editorial director, The Hollywood Reporter) and Rishi Rajani (CEO, Hillman Grad).
SAVFF LGBTQIA+ Short Film Competition Presented by Amazon MGM Studios
To promote more inclusive storytelling in the filmmaking industry, the 2023 SCAD Savannah Film Festival (SAVFF) and Amazon MGM Studios created a dedicated SAVFF LGBTQIA+ Short Film Competition. Amazon MGM Studios will donate $10,000 for the jury-awarded Best Overall Film and $5,000 for an Audience Award. Films in the program are under 40 minutes in length and represent excellence in storytelling and execution in narrative or documentary formats, reflecting unique insight into LGBTQIA+ themes, issues, or ideas.
- This year’s winner for Best LGBTQIA+ Short is 100% USDA Certified Organic Homemade Tofu, directed by Gbenga Komolafe.
- This year’s Audience Award Winner is Fanatic, directed by Taran Killam.
Jury members for The SAVFF LGBTQIA+ Short Film Competition Presented by Amazon MGM Studios included Adam Keen (co-head of global film PR at Amazon MGM Studios), Anthony Allen Ramos (vice president of communications and talent at GLAAD), Daniel Reynolds (editor in chief at Out Magazine), Jazz Tangcay (senior artisans editor at Variety) and Abbey White (news reporter at The Hollywood Reporter).
Source: SCAD
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
