News and Media

Published: Oct 25, 2011




SAVANNAH, Georgia - Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor Ray Liotta ("Goodfellas," "Hannibal"), Golden Globe nominated actor Aaron Eckhart ("The Dark Knight," "Erin Brockovich") and director/writers Mark and Jay Duplass ("Cyrus," "The Puffy Chair") will be honored at the 14th annual Savannah Film Festival, hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design. The festival will take place Oct. 29 to Nov. 5 in historic Savannah.

Liotta, Eckhart and the Duplass brothers join a lineup of honorees including Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning writer/director Oliver Stone ("Platoon," "Wall Street"); Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-nominated, Emmy Award-winning actress Lily Tomlin ("9 to 5," "All of Me"); Golden Globe-nominated, Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Ellen Barkin ("The Big Easy," "Ocean's Thirteen"); and actor James Marsden ("27 Dresses," "X-Men").

Other special guests taking part in this year's festival include Alec Baldwin, Universal Pictures President Ron Meyer, James Toback, Miles Teller, Geoffrey Fletcher, Kenneth Lonergan, Drake Doremus, Bill Pullman and Famke Janssen.

The Savannah Film Festival has also added new special screenings including Jim Field Smith's "Butter;" Lee Hirsch's "The Bully Project;" Dito Montiel's "The Son of No One," starring festival honoree Ray Liotta; as well as "Born on the Fourth of July," directed by festival honoree Oliver Stone; Kenneth Lonergan's "You Can Count on Me," and Robert Benton's "The Late Show" starring festival honoree Lily Tomlin.

Additionally, Mark and Jay Duplass' "Jeff, Who Lives at Home;" Famke Janssen's "Bringing Up Bobby," Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon;" and Jessica Yu's "Last Call at the Oasis" will show at the festival as part of the SCAD Cinevation Series where each screening is followed by an in-depth discussion from filmmakers who will provide their perspective on the film and why the film inspires them.

Previously announced special gala screenings include David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method;" Drake Doremus' "Like Crazy," winner of the Grand Jury and Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival; Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist" winner of the Best Actor Prize at the CannesInternational Film Festival; Roman Polanski's "Carnage" winner of the Little Golden Lion Prize at the Venice Film Festival; and Sam Levinson's "Another Happy Day," starring festival honoree Ellen Barkin. Showing also are Agnieszka Holland's "In Darkness;" Lynne Ramsay's "We Need to Talk about Kevin;" and Ralph Fiennes' "Coriolanus."

In addition to the special screenings, 23 professional films (features, documentaries, shorts and animation) and 11 student films in competition will show at various times throughout the festival. The jurors for this year's competition include producer Lesley Chilcott ("Waiting for Superman"), actor Anson Mount (upcoming AMC Series "Hell on Wheels"), record producer/film composer Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, The Who), and talent manager/producer Johnnie Planco (Parseghian Planco Management).

Hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design, the Savannah Film Festival has become one of the largest entertainment events in the Southeast. SCAD offers the only major film program in the United States integrated within an acclaimed art and design university. In the past seven years, the university has been one of the top 10 U.S. film schools in producing Student Academy Award finalists.

For more information on the festival and a complete schedule of events, visit scad.edu/filmfest.