Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn and Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction Win 2023 SCAD Savannah Film Festival Audience Award
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) today announced the inaugural SCAD Savannah Film Festival Audience Award winners, as selected by festival attendees.
Salbturn was the year’s top pick, with Academy Award-winning writer, director, and producer Emerald Fennell on hand to receive the Spotlight Director Award in front of a sold-out audience. American Fiction was the runner-up, continuing its festival run of receiving audience prizes. Director, writer, and producer Cord Jefferson was in attendance and honored with the Breakthrough Director Award.
Last Thursday, 19 awards were announced from the 99 films chosen to compete out of over 2,100 submissions in competition categories, which included Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Professional Shorts, Animated Shorts, Documentary Shorts, Student Shorts, Shorts Spotlight, the Global Shorts Forum, and the SAVFF LGBTQIA+ Short Film Competition presented by Amazon MGM Studios.
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 members 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
Recognizing the need for more inclusive storytelling in the filmmaking industry, the 2023 SCAD Savannah Film Festival (SAVFF) and Amazon MGM Studios have 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.
The SAVFF LGBTQIA+ Short Film Competition Presented by Amazon MGM Studios jury members 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).