Savannah Film Festival Presents 2004 Awards
Ceremony Honors Professional and Student Competition Films
SAVANNAH, Ga.--The Savannah Film Festival presented the 2004 awards for student and professional competition films tonight at 7 p.m. at Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St. The awards ceremony capped off the eight-day festival, which screened more than 60 films.
Award winners are as follows: - Best Narrative Feature: “Dandelion”
- Best Documentary: “Entertaining Vietnam”
- Best Narrative Short: “Lift”
- Jury Award: “This is Not a Film”
- Jury Award: Standout Performance: Nadia Dajani in “This is Not a Film”
- Best Director: Mark Milgard for “Dandelion”
- 2004 Savannah Film Festival HBO Films Producer Award: “Make ‘Em Dance: The
Hackberry Ramblers’ Story”
- 2004 Savannah Film Festival HBO Films Best Student Film: “American Made”
- Best Student Film Runner-Up: “Loopy”
- Best SCAD Student Film: “Divya”
- Best Student Film–Animation: “Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher”
- Best Student Film–Animation Runner-Up: “Divya”
The films were juried by a distinguished panel of five judges: Bill Dawes, an actor whose credits in New York theater premieres include Lord Alfred Douglas in "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” and whose film credits include about a dozen independent films; Abe Gurko, playwright, actor and creator of ABE-NYC Events, an event-planning venture; Sophia Karteris, vice president of programming for Turner South, Turner Broadcasting System Inc.’s regional entertainment network; Michael Mailer, president of Bigel/Mailer Films, a New York-based development and production company specializing in star-driven films that bridge the gap between Hollywood and the independents; and Nancy Spears, director of marketing for Warner Home Video, the world’s largest distributor of video entertainment.
Kicking off the festival on Saturday, Oct. 23, was a special screening of “Sideways,” starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. Other films shown at the 2004 festival were “Kinsey,” starring Liam Neeson; “Being Julia,” starring Annette Bening and Shaun Evans; “Finding Neverland,” starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet; and “Stage Beauty,” starring Claire Danes and Billy Crudup.
Some of this year’s highlights included visits from internationally renowned special guests, including actor Peter O’Toole, who was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award; actress Kathleen Turner, who also received a Lifetime Achievement Award; movie critic Roger Ebert, who was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Entertainment Journalism; and director Norman Jewison, who received the Achievement in Cinema Award.
Other special guests at the festival included Evans; Jason Patric, who screened his 1990 film “After Dark, My Sweet”; Illeana Douglas, who screened her original short “Supermarket”; David Gordon Green, director of “Undertow”; Ray McKinnon and Walton Goggins, director and producer, respectively, of “Chrystal”; Jonathon Estrin, executive director of the American Film Institute; Tom Ortenberg, president of Lions Gate Entertainment; as well other industry professionals and student and independent filmmakers.
The festival also hosted a series of panels and workshops with leaders and rising stars in today’s film industry. Panels and workshops included “The Business of the Biz: Financing Your Dream”; “Short and Feature Documentary Films”; “The Written Word”; “Careers in the Camera Department”; “The Making of $50 Million Feature”; “Careers in Postproduction”; “Careers in Casting and Acting”; and “The Handling of Hollywood: A Symposium of Agents, Managers, Publicists and Casting Directors.”
In addition, Lifetime Achievement Award in Entertainment Journalism honoree Ebert conducted three workshops on the Orson Welles classic “Citizen Kane.” Ebert critiqued the nuances of the film, arguably one of the greatest movies ever made. Through frame-by-frame analysis, Ebert discussed the techniques and tricks Welles used to create his masterpiece.
The 2004 Savannah Film Festival was attended by more than 32,000 people. Special screenings and student and professional competition film screenings were held at Trustees Theater and the Lucas Theatre, 32 Abercorn St. The 2005 Savannah Film Festival will take place Oct. 29-Nov. 5.
Media inquiries may be directed to 912.713.3534 or 912.247.2011.
Seventh Annual Savannah Film Festival to Begin Oct. 23 Featuring Studio, Independent and Student Films and Industry-led Workshops
Films Include "Being Julia," "Chrystal," "Finding Neverland," "Kinsey" and "Stage Beauty"
SAVANNAH, Ga.--The seventh annual Savannah Film Festival, presented by the Savannah College of Art and Design Oct. 23-30, presents nearly 60 films by studio, independent and student filmmakers as well as industry-led workshops and special guests from all aspects of the film industry. Film screenings will be held at Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St., and Lucas Theatre, 32 Abercorn St. Workshops will be held at Red Gallery, 201 E. Broughton St.
The festival kicks off with an opening night reception and gala Saturday, Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m., at Trustees Theater. Actress Kathleen Turner will be on hand as she is honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at 7:30 p.m.
Additional Savannah Film Festival honorees include director Norman Jewison, who receives an Achievement in Cinema Award Sunday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m. at the Lucas Theatre; actor Peter O'Toole, who receives a Lifetime Achievement Award Wednesday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m. at Trustees Theater; and film critic Roger Ebert, who receives a Lifetime Achievement in Entertainment Journalism Award Friday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m. at Trustees Theater.
Several special screenings are premieres of films that have not yet been released in theaters.
"Being Julia," starring Annette Bening and screening Monday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m., at Trustees Theater, focuses on actress Julia Lambert, who is at her peak in pre-World War II London, but her successful theatrical career and marriage to a handsome impresario have become stale and unfulfilling. She decides that romance is the best antidote to a midlife crisis and embarks on a passionate affair with a younger man. Life becomes more daring and exciting until Julia's young lover callously tries to relegate her to a supporting role. Lead actor Shaun Evans, who plays Julia's lover, is scheduled to attend the festival.
"Chrystal," starring Billy Bob Thornton, screens Wednesday, Oct. 27, 12:30 p.m., at Trustees Theater. After a car flies off of a mountain and a baby vanishes without a trace into the darkness of the Ozarks, the baby's father, Joe, is sentenced to jail. Chrystal, the young mother, is left alone in constant physical and emotional pain. Nearly two decades later, when Joe is released from jail, he is drawn back to the shell of his former life. Without the strength to take him back or turn him away, Chrystal allows Joe to sleep on the porch. The film's writer and director, Georgia native Ray McKinnon, is scheduled to attend the film festival; one of the film's producers and stars, Walton Goggins, is also a Georgia native.
"Finding Neverland," the much-anticipated film starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, is the story of Scottish author James Mathew Barrie, the man behind "Peter Pan." Set in early 20th-century London, this film is a fictional account of Barrie's creative journey to bring Peter Pan to life, from his first inspiration for the story to the play's ultimate premiere. It screens Saturday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m., at Trustees Theater.
"Kinsey," starring Liam Neeson, Laura Linney and Timothy Hutton, screens Friday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m., at Trustees Theater. Based on the life of Albert Kinsey, a pioneer in the field of human sexuality, this film explores how Kinsey irrevocably changed American culture in 1948 with his book "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male." Interviewing thousands of people about the most intimate aspects of their lives, Kinsey lifts the weight of secrecy and shame from a society in which sexual practices are mostly hidden.
"Stage Beauty," starring Claire Danes and Billy Crudup and screening Tuesday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m., at Trustees Theater, tells the tale of 16th-century actor "Ned" Kynaston. With only men permitted to professionally act, the greatest ardor is reserved for the actor who is the complete "female stage beauty," and Ned is indisputably that actor. When the King's mistress demands that the ban outlawing female actors be overturned, Ned finds his career ruined until his stage dresser Maria helps make an actor of him again. As the masks finally fall away to reveal Ned and Maria's true feelings, Ned undergoes a profound inner journey to discover his complete identity.
Other guests scheduled to attend this year's festival include actor, director, producer and Savannah Film Festival advisory board member Illeana Douglas, who will screen her original short "Supermarket"; David Gordon Green, the director of "Undertow," which was filmed in Savannah; Lydia Dean Pilcher, a film producer for such projects as "Vanity Fair" and HBO's "Iron Jawed Angels"; Jonathan Estrin, executive vice president of the American Film Institute; Tom Ortenberg, president of Lions Gate Entertainment; and other industry professionals and student and independent filmmakers.
During the festival, industry professionals, rising filmmakers and studio executives lead workshops and panel discussions at Red Gallery, 201 E. Broughton St. This year, workshops include "The Business of the Biz: Financing Your Dream," with scheduled panelists Steve Mangel, president and chief operating officer of International Film Guarantors Inc.; Steve Krone, president and chief operating officer of Village Roadshow Pictures Entertainment; Howard Kaplan, president and chief operating officer of Morgan Creek Productions; Douglas Hansen, chief operating officer of Endgame Entertainment LLC; and moderat or Joe Woolf, managing director of entertainment finance for Citigroup.
Another panel this year includes "Digital Arts Panel: Works in Progress," during which animation director Carlos Saldanha ("Ice Age," "Robots") and other filmmakers present and discuss projects they are working on to help the audience understand the digital filmmaking process from conception to completion. Other panels include "Careers in the Camera Department"; "Careers in Producing and Direction: Television vs. Film"; "Careers in Casting and Acting"; and "Short and Feature Documentary Films."
In addition, "'Citizen Kane, 'A Shot in Time'" is a three-part workshop led by Roger Ebert featuring in-depth analysis and dissection of the Orson Welles classic "Citizen Kane." The workshop will be held Thursday, Oct. 28, Friday, Oct. 29 and Saturday, Oct. 30, each day at 12:30 p.m. at Trustees Theater.
Tickets and passes to the Savannah Film Festival are available from the Trustees Theater box office or by phone at 912.525.5050. A gold pass can be purchased for $300 and entitles patrons to attend all scheduled 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 scheduled films, workshops, lectures, and opening and closing night receptions. A bronze pass can be purchased for $100 and entitles patrons to attend all scheduled 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.
For more information, film and workshop synopses and a complete schedule of events, please visit
www.scad.edu/filmfest .
The film schedule is subject to change; the films are not rated and may contain mature content. Parental discretion is advised.
Media inquiries may be directed to 912.525.5225.
Savannah College of Art and Design Presents the Seventh Annual Savannah Film Festival October 23-30, 2004 SAVANNAH, Ga.--The Savannah College of Art and Design presents the seventh annual Savannah Film Festival, Oct. 23-30, featuring the best in independent, innovative and influential film and video from around the world, as well as panel discussions and presentations of well-known visiting artists and filmmakers. 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 color.
From feature-length films to two-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 "The Cooler," "Searching for Debra Winger," "The Battle of Shaker Heights," "The Triplets of Belleville," "Amélie," "Talk to Her," "In the Bedroom" and "In America." Each year, the festival also presents Achievement Awards to outstanding individuals in film. Past recipients have included director Arthur Penn, actress Thora Birch, director and producer Sydney Pollack, actress Debbie Reynolds, actress Jane Fonda, and director and producer James Ivory.
Some of this year's highlights include visits from industry-honored special guests. Legendary actor Peter O'Toole will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m., in Trustees Theater. O'Toole starred in films such as "Lawrence of Arabia" (1lie," "Talk to Her," "In the Bedroom" and "In America." Each year, the festival also presents Achievement Awards to outstanding individuals in film. Past recipients have included director Arthur Penn, actress Thora Birch, director and producer Sydney Pollack, actress Debbie Reynolds, actress Jane Fonda, and director and producer James Ivory.
Some of this year's highlights include visits from industry-honored special guests. Legendary actor Peter O'Toole will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m., in Trustees Theater. O'Toole starred in films such as "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), "Troy" (2004), "The Lion in Winter" (1968) and "Goodbye Mr. Chips" (1969).
Kathleen Turner will also receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's festival. Turner is the star of more than 35 films, including "Romancing the Stone" (1984), "The Jewel of the Nile" (1985), "The War of the Roses" (1989), "The Virgin Suicides" (1999), "Beautiful" (2000) and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" (1989). She also played Charles Bing, Chandler Bing's transvestite father, on the hit NBC comedy "Friends." Recently, Turner has served as a spokesperson for those living with rheumatoid arthritis.
In addition, famed movie critic Roger Ebert will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Entertainment Journalism, Friday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m. in Trustees Theater. He will be offering a series of critiques on the Orson Welles classic "Citizen Kane" (1941) Thursday, Oct. 28, Friday, Oct. 29, and Saturday, Oct. 30, at 12:30 p.m. each day.
Director Norman Jewison, best known for films including "Moonstruck" (1987), "In the Heat of the Night" (1967), "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1973) and "Agnes of God" (1985), will receive the Achievement in Cinema Award, Sunday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m. in Trustees Theater. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, and his films have received 46 Oscar nominations and 12 Academy Awards.
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 include Careers in the Camera Department; Careers in Producing and Direction: Television vs. Film; Careers in Casting and Acting; Short and Feature Documentary Films; Animation Films; The Business of the Biz; and Agents, Publicists and Lawyers. "Coffee Talk," an informal workshop held daily, provides a forum for students and film professionals to discuss the industry.
Tickets and passes to the Savannah Film Festival are available from the Trustees Theater box office, 216 E. Broughton St., or by phone at 912.525.5050. 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.
For more information, please visit the festival's Web site at
www.scad.edu/filmfest. More information will be released as it becomes available.
For media inquires or image requests, please contact 912.525.5225.
About the College 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 to award bachelor's and master's degrees. The college offers bachelor of fine arts, master of architecture, master of arts and master of fine arts degrees. Programs of study include advertising design, animation, architectural history, architecture, art history, broadcast design, fashion, fibers, film and television, furniture design, graphic design, historic preservation, illustration, industrial design, interactive design and game development, interior design, media and performing arts, metals and jewelry, painting, photography, sequential art, sound design and visual effects. The five-year professional M.Arch. degree program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. For more information please call 800.869.7223 or 912.525.5100 or visit the college Web site at
www.scad.edu. E-mail may be sent to
admission@scad.edu.
