|
 09/12/2005
Lumet and Falk among honorees at 2005 Savannah Film Festival
Festival, hosted by Savannah College of Art and Design, scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 5 in historic downtown Savannah, Ga.
SAVANNAH, Ga. — The eighth annual Savannah Film Festival, hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design, has named legendary director Sidney Lumet and actor Peter Falk the recipients of the festival’s annual Lifetime Achievement Awards. Actress Natasha Richardson will also be honored during the weeklong festival.
Lumet, known for award-winning films such as “12 Angry Men” (1957), “Serpico” (1973), “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975) and “Network” (1976), is a five-time Academy Award-nominee and received the Honorary Oscar at the 2005 Academy Awards. He will be honored Saturday, Oct. 29, during the festival’s opening night celebration.
Falk, whose performance in Paul Reiser’s “The Thing About My Folks” (2005) is creating Oscar buzz, will be honored Thursday, Nov. 3. Falk is a two-time Academy Award-nominee and a five-time Emmy Award-winner who is best known as the seemingly slow-witted detective Lt. Columbo in the famous series of made-for-television movies of the same name.
The festival will honor Richardson with an award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Sunday, Oct. 30. Known for her starring role in the award-winning film “The Comfort of Strangers” (1990), Richardson stars in the upcoming “The White Countess,” a Merchant Ivory film that also stars Ralph Fiennes, Lynn Redgrave and Vanessa Redgrave.
Other festival highlights include the presentation of lifetime achievement awards in animation to the prolific animation team of Don Bluth and Gary Goldman (“Titan A.E.,” “Anastasia,” “An American Tail”), as well as a screening of “The Ape” by actor James Franco (“Spiderman,” “The Great Raid”).
Franco wrote, directed and stars in the film, which is based on his play by the same name.
Buck Henry, screenwriter of “The Graduate,” “Catch 22” and “To Die For,” will be on hand to speak about the film. Terry George, director of “Hotel Rwanda,” GreeneStreet Films President John Penotti, producer John Hart, NBC Universal Pictures President Ron Meyer and Alan Ladd Jr. are also scheduled to attend. Additional guests and special honorees will be announced as information becomes available.
In addition to awards presentations and special screenings, each year the festival holds a professional film competition as well as a renowned international student film competition. Entries are judged in the categories of animation, documentary feature, documentary short, narrative feature and narrative short. Also during the festival, industry professionals, rising filmmakers and studio executives lead panel discussions and question-and-answer sessions at Red Gallery, 201 E. Broughton St. This year, panels cover almost every aspect of filmmaking, from the business of “the biz” to working behind the camera or in front of it. Notable sessions include workshops presented by Kodak, a production panel featuring David Ladd and Alan Ladd Jr. and a case study featuring the production team from Food Network’s “Paula’s Home Cooking,” with native Savannahian Paula Dean. "Coffee Talk," an informal workshop that provides a forum for students and film professionals to discuss the industry, is also held daily.
Held in the SCAD Trustees Theater, a fully restored and modernized performance and screening venue at 216 E. Broughton St., and the Lucas Theatre, a beautifully refurbished former silent movie theater at 32 Abercorn St., the Savannah Film Festival allows community members to share in the delight of the big screen and visitors to discover much of the college’s and the city’s history and lively local culture.
From feature-length films to 2-minute shorts, the festival presents a full range of cinematic creativity. In addition to student work and films by independent filmmakers, past professional screenings have included such notable films as “In America,” “Amélie,” “In the Bedroom,” “Talk to Her,” “Finding Neverland” and “Sideways.” Each year, the festival also presents Achievement Awards to outstanding individuals in film. Past recipients have included actor Peter O’Toole, director Arthur Penn, actress Kathleen Turner, director and producer Sydney Pollack, actress Debbie Reynolds, actress Jane Fonda, and director and producer James Ivory.
Tickets and passes to the Savannah Film Festival are available at the Trustees Theater box office, 216 E. Broughton St., or by phone at 912.525.5050 beginning Oct. 3. A gold pass can be purchased for $300 and entitles patrons to attend all films, workshops, lectures, opening and closing night receptions, and all other VIP receptions. A silver pass can be purchased for $200 and entitles patrons to attend all films, workshops, lectures, and opening and closing night receptions. A bronze pass can be purchased for $100 and entitles patrons to attend all films. Individual tickets are $5 per film, workshop or lecture; $3 for senior citizens; $3 with a non-SCAD student ID or free with a SCAD ID. Group discounts are available.
The film schedule is subject to change; the films are not rated and may contain mature content. Parental discretion is advised.
More information will be released as it becomes available. For media inquires or image requests, contact 912.525.5225.
The Savannah College of Art and Design exists to prepare talented students for careers in the visual and performing arts, design, the building arts, and the history of art and architecture. The college has locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Ga., and in Lacoste, France. Some programs are offered online through SCAD e-Learning.
The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; telephone number 404.679.4501) to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The five-year professional M.Arch. degree program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.
The college offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Architecture, Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts and Master of Urban Design degrees, and certificates. Degrees are offered in 30 areas of study. Minors are offered in 44 disciplines.
For more information about the college, programs of study and cultural events sponsored by the college, call 800.869.7223 or 912.525.5100. E-mail may be sent to info@scad.edu.
|
