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Sidney Lumet accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award for Directing.
Photo by Chia Chiung Chong
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Opening night honors legendary director Sidney Lumet By Angela Ashley
It was a star-studded night in downtown Savannah with the opening of the eighth annual Savannah Film Festival, hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design. Broughton Street was closed off while honored guests such as director Sidney Lumet, screenwriter Buck Henry, actors Natasha Richardson, James Franco and George Segal, and film editor and sound designer Walter Murch mingled with the crowd prior to following the red carpet into Trustees Theater for the evening’s tribute.
SCAD President Paula S. Wallace presented Lumet with the Lifetime Achievement Award before an enthusiastic audience, who filled the house with applause.
Lumet, a five-time Oscar nominee, received the 2005 Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for his “brilliant services to screenwriters, performers and the art of the motion picture.” His stellar career began in 1957 with “Twelve Angry Men,” and his diverse body of work includes “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” (1962), “Serpico” (1973), “Murder on the Orient Express” (1974), “Network” (1976), “Guilty as Sin” (1993) and “Gloria” (1999).
During his acceptance speech, Lumet remarked that the depth and energy of the Savannah Film Festival made it feel like it had been around much longer than eight years. Following the award presentation the audience enjoyed a special screening of “Good Night, and Good Luck,” directed by George Clooney and starring Clooney, Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, Tate Donovan, Robert Downey Jr. and Frank Langella.
Scene and Heard By Emily Green The crisp night air complemented the cool, modern look of Orleans Hall at the opening night reception of the Savannah Film Festival. A methodic techno beat pumped through an energized crowd fresh from the Sidney Lumet tribute and screening of “Good Night, and Good Luck” at the Trustees Theater.
The conversation was light and laughter was abundant as guests enjoyed seafood hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Lumet arrived with his wife from a late dinner at Gottlieb’s restaurant with other celebrities and Bobby Zarem of Zarem Inc. Natasha Richardson made a brief appearance after dinner as she circled the room with director Jason Blum and posed for a picture for People magazine. James Franco also made an appearance and mingled with guests.
As the lights came up, the reception ended the first night of what is sure to be another memorable film festival.
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James Franco sits outside of Trustees Theater.
Photo by Chia Chiung Chong
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Franco talks ‘Ape’ with audience By Monique Bos
Following a 3 p.m. screening of “The Ape” — for which he served as director, executive producer, co-writer and star — James Franco discussed his work and answered questions for festival goers at the Lucas Theatre Oct. 30.
Joined onstage by Savannah College of Art and Design film and television department chair Chris Auer and producer Vince Jolivette, Franco talked about the process of transforming “The Ape” from concept and storyboard to play to film.
He and co-writer Merriwether Williams developed the script, along with several others, for their theater group, Playhouse West. When the actors re-created the story on camera, he said, “The performance was unique in that we’d done it as a play for a number of months, so everyone was comfortable with their roles, including me.”
He talked about difficulties in adapting plays for film, the challenge of directing himself, and the struggle to find funding for independent films. (He personally financed “The Ape.”)
Jolivette answered questions about types of cameras used in shooting the film, schedule, budget, soundtrack and post-production. Franco discussed his future career plans and his preference of movies over television.
Jolivette and Franco also reminisced about working with Jonah, the trained chimpanzee who retired from an illustrious film career following his role in “The Ape.”
Richardson accepts achievement in cinema award By Rebecca Greenspan 
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Natasha Richardson speaks to the audience at Trustees Theater.
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A stunning Natasha Richardson accepted the 2005 Savannah Film Festival Outstanding Achievement in Cinema award Sunday night in front of a packed house at Trustees Theater. Savannah College of Art and Design President Paula S. Wallace presented Richardson with the award, paying tribute to Richardson’s “unparalleled grasp of women in extremes” and calling her “one of the finest actresses of her generation.” Indeed, her wide range of films and acting experience, from her breakthrough film role as Mary Shelley in 1986’s “Gothic” to the titular character in “Patty Hearst” (1988), not to mention the 2001 ensemble production “Chelsea Walls.” Her stage work is widely lauded, having won Broadway’s 1998 Tony Award as Best Actress (Musical) for a revival of “Cabaret.” She was also nominated as Best Actress (Play) in 1993 for a revival of Eugene O’Neill’s “Anna Christie.”
Richardson accepted the “lovely honor” but was inspired to “think of things [she] has not yet achievement in the cinema.” “I’ve got to play incredible parts, and gotten the opportunity to work with incredible directors and actors,” she said. “This award is encouragement to keep on working and keep on learning,” Richardson added. She also thanked her hosts at SCAD, whom she said “define the phrase ‘southern hospitality.’”
“The White Countess,” starring Richardson and Ralph Fiennes, was shown after the presentation. Richardson noted before the screening that this film was the last Merchant Ivory film, as producer Ismael Merchant died May 25. As both Merchant and “The White Countess” director James Ivory were longtime friends of the festival, it seemed a fitting place to screen the movie, which opens in the United States Dec. 21.
Scene and Heard By Emily Green After a tribute to Natasha Richardson and special screening of her movie “The White Countess” at Trustees Theater, guests arrived in steady streams to the sophisticated reception at Red Gallery, which closed the second night of the Savannah Film Festival. Slater Bradley’s“ Lifetime Achievement Award” video exhibition played on various walls while soft piano and vocals got lost in the infectious conversation of the crowd.
Richardson subtly stood on the side of the room and sipped a drink as she talked with guests. Bobby Zarem was on the scene chatting with festivalgoers and students. “Feast” producer Mike Leahy casually made his way around the gallery speaking with film students and SCAD staff throughout the night. Later, James Franco arrived with a few friends for an appearance.
Although the night had a relaxed feel, anticipation for the upcoming events was apparent throughout the evening.
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Walter Murch accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award for Sound and Editing from SCAD President Paula S. Wallace.
Photo by Chia Chiung Chong
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Murch, Daniels honored at film festival; audience hungry for ‘Feast’ By Rebecca Greenspan
A jam-packed Halloween at the Savannah Film Festival featured the presentation of two achievement awards, the screening of a recently released movie, and a yet-to-be-released movie.
Sound designer and film editor Walter Murch was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Sound and Editing. The multiple-Oscar-winning Murch, in fact, coined the term “sound designer” and is known for dozens of celebrated movies, notably “Apocalypse Now” (1979), “The Godfather III” (1990), “The English Patient” (1996) and “Jarhead,” opening Nov. 4.
After the award presentation, the audience viewed “The Squid and the Whale,” starring Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney, and directed and written by Noah Baumbach based on his parents’ divorce.
Following the screening, Daniels was on hand to receive an Achievement in Cinema Award for Acting. Savannah College of Art and Design President Paula S. Wallace presented the award to “one of Hollywood’s most versatile leading men...with movies spanning practically every genre.”
The theater company owner and playwright is versatile indeed, with dramatic credits ranging from “Terms of Endearment” (1983), “Pleasantville” (1998) and “Good Night, and Good Luck” (2005) to comedic turns in “The Purple Rose of Cairo” (1985), “Dumb and Dumber” (1994) and “The Goodbye Girl” (2004). After a question-and-answer session with Daniels, the latest Project Greenlight production, a horror/comedy film called “Feast,” was presented as a special Halloween treat.
Scene and Heard By Jennifer Long
After the tributes and screenings at Trustees Theater, festivalgoers headed over to Belford’s in Savannah’s City Market for more fun and festivities. There the restaurant’s spacious room filled early, and one couldn’t help but rub elbows with the festival’s most noteworthy attendees.
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Jeff Daniels addresses the Trustees Theater crowd.
Photo by Charlie Ribbens
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Jeff Daniels and his wife Kathleen chatted with Bobby Zarem of Zarem Inc. before making an exit early in the evening. Festival advisory board member Illeana Douglas worked her way from Belford’s crowded front bar onto the breezy back patio. Amidst the night’s boisterous guests, the costumed waitstaff served Belford’s award-winning crab cakes and other hors d’oeuvres, while hungrier guests indulged at the carving station.
The evening’s festive atmosphere was a sure sign that tomorrow’s events would continue to entertain and enlighten the crowd.
‘Stallion’ rides in to the Savannah Film Festival By Emily Green Lucas Theatre hosts a special screening of “The Derby Stallion” (2005), directed by Craig Clyde (“The Long Road Home”) today [Nov. 1] at 3 p.m.
Patrick McCardle, played by Zac Efron (“Summerland”), is a quiet 15-year-old boy who has never fully fit in. His sports-enthusiast father, played by William R. Moses (“Jane Doe”), forces the non-athletic Patrick to play sports, which makes him feel all the more out of place.
Patrick feels most comfortable around his best friend Houston Jones (Bill Cobbs of “A Mighty Wind”), a former jockey with a taste for wine, gambling and blues music. Patrick's visits to Jones are often done in secret, as his parents oppose the influence they feel he has on their son.
One night on his way home from Jones’ rundown farm, Patrick meets sister-brother duo Jill and Chuck Overton (Crystal Hunt of “Guiding Light” and Atlanta-native Rob Pinkston). The three embark on the journey of a lifetime when Jones unveils a special challenge — an injured former racehorse he wants Patrick to race at the State Cup Steeplechase Race in six weeks.
Producer Tonya Walker (“Passions”) plays Patrick’s mother. Colton James and Michael Nardelli appear as the town troublemakers.
Len Cripe, managing director of the Savannah Film Festival, said the film is a “beautifully directed, wonderful story about life and the impact we have on each other.”
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Producer Alan Ladd Jr. leads a discussion at Red Gallery Nov. 1
Photo by Charlie Ribbens
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Ladd shares memories, insight at Red Gallery By Monique Bos Alan Ladd Jr. — noted producer, former president of 20th Century Fox, past CEO of MGM/UA Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., and founder of the Ladd Company — discussed his career and the changes he has observed in the film industry at Red Gallery Nov. 1.
During a career that has included involvement with such films as “Blade Runner,” “Star Wars,” “The Omen,” “A Fish Called Wanda” and “Chariots of Fire,” Ladd has worked with numerous legendary industry executives and actors.
He recalled simultaneously producing three films — starring Marlon Brando, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor respectively — in London during the “swinging ’60s.” He also talked about how his early work as an agent established a network of contacts that would play a vital role in his transition to producer and rise to studio executive.
“This business is all about contacts, I think,” he said. “Relationships are vital for young filmmakers.”
Not only did he owe his job offer from Fox to a friend, he said, but thanks to contacts at other studios, he also received (sometimes under the table) several scripts that would go on to become modern classics under his leadership — such as “Young Frankenstein” and “The Omen,” which originally was a Warner Bros. project.
Scene and Heard By Becky Blaho Judi Dench’s latest film, “Mrs. Henderson Presents,” set a lively tune for Tuesday night’s festivities as the Savannah Film Festival approached the halfway mark of its eighth year. The buoyant mood stayed with the crowd from Trustees Theater to the First City Club, overlooking Savannah’s Johnson Square. Guests took advantage of the warm evening air and enjoyed the views from the balconies.
Over an elaborate spread of hors d'oeuvres and dessert, notables such as Ileana Douglas and Bobby Zarem mingled, along with Buck Henry from films such as “The Graduate” and “Grumpy Old Men.”
Attending their first Savannah Film Festival were Mauldin Brand Agency Artistic Control Group’s Michael and Judy Mauldin. MBA’s client list includes Alicia Keys, Bow Wow and Da Brat; they also are the parents of recording artist Jermaine Dupri.
While food and drink flowed, guests discussed the outstanding films in what is surely the best festival yet.
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Lon Chaney stars in “The Phantom of the Opera,” to be screened Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the Lucas Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
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Festival screens first ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ By Angela Martin It is estimated more than 52 million people have seen “The Phantom of the Opera” on stage or screen. Tonight [Nov. 2], Savannah Film Festival guests will have a chance to see the version that started it all. The screening of the original version of “The Phantom of the Opera,” released in 1925, begins at 9:30 p.m. at the Lucas Theatre. Those who attend [the] screening will see the silent film in a way many have never seen it: set to live music. Members of the Alloy Orchestra from Cambridge, Mass., will be on hand to accompany the film.
Based on Gaston Leroux’s novel, “The Phantom of the Opera” has been told and retold countless times. There have been more than 20 different stage productions worldwide of “The Phantom of the Opera” since the musical opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London in October 1986. Last Christmas, Warner Bros. Studios released a film version of the timeless classic, produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
In the original film version, Lon Chaney stars as the Phantom, a disfigured composer who is in love with Christine Daae, a beautiful young opera singer, played by Mary Philbin. The Phantom tries to win Christine’s heart by tutoring her and creating an opportunity for her to perform in place of the lead soprano. Christine, though, is in love with another man.
The drama of this horrifying tale is sure to intensify as Alloy Orchestra provides a soundtrack of live music during the film. The ensemble specializes in adding musical sound to silent movies and has played at the Telluride Film Festival, the Louvre and the Lincoln Center. Tonight’s showing of “The Phantom of the Opera,” is a must for any movie lover. Whether it is for the first time or 15th, enjoy the film some have called one of the greatest of all time.
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Red Thread
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‘Red Thread’ stars Savannah By Jennifer Long Wednesday’s special screening of “Red Thread” filled Trustees Theater with moviegoers excited to welcome this home-grown film. With many members of the movie’s cast and crew being Savannahians and/or affiliated with SCAD, the audience recognized familiar faces and places from start to finish.
Set in Savannah, the movie tells the story of Billy, an apartment complex maintenance man, who falls for an engaged aspiring actress named Tamara. While Tamara’s fiancé is away, she injures herself and must rely on Billy to help her around the house. Meanwhile, Miss Johnson, the lonely and widowed building manager, attempts to seduce Billy and keep him away from Tamara.
SCAD alumna Teddy Sharkova Pashikov (M.F.A., film and video), wrote and directed the film, which stars SCAD alumni Jonathan Irons and Jasmine Brooke White, as well as Academy Award-nominated actor Diana Scarwid and Savannah-born actor Eamon Sheehan.
Executive producer Harvey Ray was born in Savannah and has worked in the film industry for more than 20 years; he serves as SCAD’s director of film industry relations and is the founder of Savannah Cinema Post. Producer Stratton Leopold is a member of the Savannah Film Festival advisory board. The screening earned a standing ovation, and the audience was treated to a question-and-answer session with most of the members of the film’s cast and crew.
Silver Screen Society announces winner of student grant By Sunny Nelson The Silver Screen Society announced Wednesday that Savannah College of Art and Design animation graduate student Aaron Kablack is the winner of the newly created Silver Screen Society grant. The $3,000 grant is awarded annually to a selected SCAD student filmmaker to promote the practical, real-world process of commercial film production.
SCAD students were asked to develop and pitch a concept for a feature film based on certain specifications. This year’s competition specified a low-budget, horror screenplay set in Savannah. A distinguished panel of judges comprised of producer Barry Rosenbush, SCAD film and television professor Michael Nolin, and Dean Ayers, former director of entertainment marketing at Anheuser-Busch Inc., selected the best entry.
Kablack will have seven months to write the screenplay based on his treatment with assistance from industry professionals. When completed, Kablack will present his screenplay to the Silver Screen Society Advisory Panel. Upon acceptance, he will be awarded another $1,000.
A table reading of the screenplay by the student and actors will be presented as an official event at the 2006 Savannah Film Festival. Kablack will then receive the final $1,000 at the end of the table reading.
The Silver Screen Society is an organization formed specifically to educate students about the filmmaking process and to reward exceptional performance. The society was co-founded by Rosenbush and Ayers.
Scene and Heard By Amanda Workman Midway through this year’s festival and still going strong. The reception following the Director’s Choice special screening welcomed festival guests into the Bar Bar. The crowd at the Congress street establishment was energetic and celebratory.
Following the screening earlier in the day of “Red Thread,” director and SCAD alumna Teddy Sharkova Pashikov was found around a table with some of her cast and crew celebrating the film’s success. Another one of SCAD’s alumni, Andy Ondrejcak, who wrote and starred in the 2004 short “Passing Normal,” was seen chatting with the film’s director Jonathan Green, also a SCAD graduate. “Passing Normal” will screen Friday at 3 p.m. in the Lucas Theatre.
Illeana Douglas stopped in for a little while but made it an early night, leaving around 10:30 p.m. Rumor had it that Chris Noth — “Mr. Big” for you “Sex and the City” fans — was going to make an appearance. Unfortunately that was not to be.
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The Matador
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Be sure to catch the screening of “The Matador” [Nov. 3] starring Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear at 7 p.m. at Trustees Theater. “The Matador” is an entertaining tale of Julian, a hit man (Brosnan) who has unexpectedly reached the end of his game. Traveling salesman Danny Wright (Kinnear) is in Mexico City working on a lucrative account when he accidentally meets up with Julian. Their subsequent evening together, however awkward or unintended, intertwines their lives in ways they could never have imagined.
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Gordon Elliott and Paula Deen talk about TV production at Red Gallery.
Photo by Charlie Ribbens
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Panel discussion serves up helpful hints for TV production By Emily Green Producers Gordon Elliott and Mark Schneider of the hit Food Network show “Paula’s Home Cooking,” starring Savannah’s own Paula Deen, provided insight on what makes a successful pitch to television networks. Deen and her sons, Bobby and Jamie, joined the panel and interjected humorous anecdotes throughout the discussion.
The crowd listened as an animated Elliott, owner of Follow Productions and national spokesperson for the Campbell’s Soup Company, explained that 90 percent of what makes a successful show depends on the TV personality’s ability to develop a relationship with the audience and the other 10 percent depends on format.
Schneider, who won an Emmy award for main title design on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” in 1999, told the audience when making a pilot, “You have to shoot more than one show,” and added encouragingly, “pilots are not your final episode.”
Elliott and Schneider agreed that a successful pitch to a network should be short and generic, “90 seconds at the most,” stressed Elliot. They said the longer the pilot, the more time network executives have to get bored and pick the show apart.
As the panel wrapped up, Elliott and Schneider said pitching shows to cable networks is often more fruitful compared to broadcast networks. They concluded saying, “You will get attention if you do it well.”
Scene and Heard By Becky Blaho The sixth evening of the Savannah Film Festival closed with an energetic party at the Moon River Brewing Company. While the majority of Bay Street was quiet, a crowd gathered outside the doors of Moon River and the energy of the party was carried outside while the festivities continued inside. All three floors of the establishment were open for the event with a full bar and buffet.
Guests included Buck Henry, who wrote the screenplay for “The Owl and the Pussy Cat” starring George Segal, Barbara Streisand and Robert Klein. Henry, who has been in town for the majority of the week, spoke earlier during the festival about his work in the industry.
The excitement of festival guests, Savannah’s elite and SCAD students, faculty and staff about the week’s events abounded and could be felt in the air as talk turned to the last few days of the festival. Upcoming events include today’s special screening of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s “Capote,” a tribute to Ellen Burstyn, and the professional jury competition.
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“The Potter” will be shown [Nov. 4] at the Lucas Theatre at 12:30 p.m.
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Film festival features new animation competition By Beth Concepçión The 2005 Savannah Film Festival features one major new event: an animation competition. Animated shorts to be screened [Nov. 4] at the Lucas Theatre at 12:30 p.m. include “Handshake,” “Heavy Pockets,”“Joyride,” “Out of Beat,” “Painting Day,” “The Potter,” “Quark,” “Red Planet Blues,” “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “To a Man with a Big Nose.”
According to Len Cripe, managing director of the festival, “We have always wanted to have an animation showcase and it has always been a part of our larger plan to include one. This year, we were able to put everything together to create one.”
In addition, there will be an animation panel discussion at 3 p.m. at Red Gallery, led by industry insiders Sara Cox and Steve Villante. The discussion will highlight the new trends in animation. Cripe said this panel is a can’t-miss opportunity for Savannah College of Art and Design animation students. “This will give them insight into how the industry works, ideas about how to get started and how to make a living,” he said.
Even better is that the animation showcase is here to stay. Cripe said it will be back again during the 2006 Savannah Film Festival.
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Chris Noth poses with Ellen Burstyn at the Savannah Film Festival Nov. 4.
Photo by Chia Chiung Chong |
Burstyn honored with Lifetime Achievement Award in Acting at the Savannah Film Festival By Emily Green At the start of what Savannah Film Festival Executive Director Danny Filson said was a “truly a magnificent evening,” the Trustees Theater filled to capacity once more as a classically beautiful Ellen Burstyn took the stage to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award for her career in acting that spans three decades and covers film, stage and television.
Preceding a film montage of Burstyn’s memorable run in Hollywood, Savannah College of Art and Design President Paula S. Wallace called Burstyn a “pillar of American cinema” who brings “unmatched integrity and grace” to her films.
Burstyn, who received a standing ovation before and after her speech, said, “I consider myself a storyteller. This award says to me that I’ve told my stories well.”
In 1975, Burstyn was the first woman to win both a Tony Award and an Academy Award in the same year for her work in Bernard Slade’s “Same Time, Next Year” on Broadway, and in Martin Scorsese’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” for which she also received a Golden Globe Award and a British Academy Award for Best Actress. Burstyn has received Academy Award nominations for five other films, including “The Last Picture Show,” “The Exorcist,” “Same Time, Next Year,” “Resurrection,” and “Requiem for a Dream.”
Working continuously since the 1970s, Burstyn’s career shows no signs of slowing down. She co-stars with Hugh Jackman in Darren Aronofsky’s new film “The Fountain” (2006), and is completing her memoir titled “Lessons in Becoming Myself,” which is scheduled for publication by Riverhead Press next year. Burstyn also recently joined Leelee Sobieski and Nicholas Cage in Neil LaBute’s independent film “The Wicker Man,” a remake of the 1973 British horror flick.
On what Burstyn said was a “very moving evening,” she told the audience she was very impressed by the Savannah Film Festival.
Scene and Heard By Amanda Workman The rumor was true: Chris Noth, Mr. Big from “Sex and the City," crammed into the fabulous and festive First City Club with other festival goers and honored guests for the after party. What a party it was indeed: The exclusive members-only club located on the corner of Bull and Congress Streets opened its doors once again to celebrate the Savannah Film Festival. A live band offered such a great complement to the party atmosphere as guests cleverly maneuvered around the packed floor, circulating among various bars and appetizer stations, and eventually making their way onto the balcony that overlooks Johnson Square.
Noth sat comfortably on a couch talking with Zarem and others. Also in attendance was famed acting coach Catlin Adams, the youngest member in the history of the Actors Studio.
The First City Club was a welcoming and warm host to such a festive atmosphere that lasted into the early hours of the morning.
Festival to honor animation icons By Angela Hendrix The Savannah Film Festival wraps up [Nov. 5] at 7 p.m. by honoring two icons in the animation world, producer, director and animator Don Bluth and his artistic partner Gary Goldman, with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Animation. At 3 p.m. the festival will screen one of their legendary films, “The Secret of N.I.M.H.”
Bluth’s career took off at Walt Disney Productions, where he served as an animator for “Robin Hood,” directing animator for “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too” and “The Rescuers,” director of animation for “Pete’s Dragon,” and producer and director for “The Small One.”
Bluth left Disney in 1979 to start Don Bluth Productions. Since then, he has written, directed, produced and designed for 12 films, one featurette, the two-minute animated sequence in the film “Xanadu,” and three laser disc video games.
Goldman’s career began in 1972 on the animated film “Robin Hood.” He continued as an animator on Disney’s “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too” and “The Rescuers,” and as directing animator on “Pete’s Dragon” and “The Small One.” Goldman worked as a directing animator, producer, and co-director, and supervised post-production, on all of Bluth and Goldman’s independent films.
Bluth and Goldman recently donated to SCAD a major collection of more than 1 million pieces of their art, including animation cels, drawings and sketches. The collection, valued in the millions, includes original animation art from their classic animated films and video games.
