SCADFILM Premieres Black Phone 2 at SCADFILM In Focus: Horror
Industry professionals to swarm SCADshow with exclusive panels and premiere screenings
ATLANTA, Oct. 2, 2025 — SCADFILM and the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) present SCADFILM In Focus: Horror Friday, Oct. 10, spotlighting the popularity of horror in television, film, and streaming. All SCADFILM in Focus events will be held at SCADshow, the university's state-of-the-art theater complex in Midtown Atlanta.
“Paired perfectly with the spooky season, SCADFILM presents an incredible line-up of sessions featuring top talent from the best in horror entertainment,” said SCADFILM director Mollie Brock. “Audiences will get to see an exclusive clip from the new HBO show It: Welcome to Derry and watch an advance screening of Black Phone 2!”
For nearly a century, imaginative tales of terror and the supernatural have kept viewers on the edge of their theater seats, foisting their iconic villains on eager audiences and into pop culture legend. SCADFILM In Focus: Horror welcomes the spooky and scary to SCADshow for a thrilling one-day celebration of fear, suspense, and the art of horror storytelling.
As part of the dynamic SCADFILM In Focus series, the event will bring creators, industry experts, and fans together for a full day of curated panel discussions, exclusive screenings, and behind-the-scenes insights into this beloved medium. Whether you're drawn to psychological thrillers, jump scares, or boundary-pushing horror cinema and gaming, SCADFILM In Focus: Horror promises a deep dive into the genre’s most chilling and innovative techniques.
Terror by Design: Crafting HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry
2 p.m. | Main Stage
In conversation with: Luis Sequeira, costume designer; Sean Sansom, prosthetic makeup effects designer and supervisor; Daryl Sawchuk, VFX supervisor
Step behind the red balloons and into the creative heart of HBO’s highly anticipated series It: Welcome to Derry, a chilling prequel to Stephen King’s It. Join key artisans from the costume, prosthetic design, and visual effects teams as they reveal how they brought the unsettling world of Derry, Maine, to life. From haunting set pieces to Pennywise-inspired details, discover how these masters of atmosphere build tension and terror long before the cameras roll.
Crafting Terror: The Art of Modern Horror Storytelling
5 p.m. | Main Stage
Join leading writers and directors for an in-conversation on the craft of modern horror. From shaping chilling stories to bringing unforgettable characters to life, these creative voices reveal how they build fear, tension, and atmosphere on screen — and why the genre continues to thrill audiences around the world.
Black Phone 2 Premiere with Special Guest Arianna Rivas
7 p.m. | Main Stage
Visit SCADshow for the premiere screening of Black Phone 2, the chilling sequel to Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill’s Saturn Award-winning The Black Phone. Co-written by Derrickson and Cargill and directed by Derrickson, the sequel follows siblings Finn and Gwen as they confront the vengeful spirit of the Grabber and uncover a dark family connection. Featuring Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke, and Demián Bichir, Black Phone 2 deepens the eerie mythology of the 2022 horror phenomenon with new twists, relentless suspense, and a sense of dread that lingers long after the credits roll. Stick around after the film for a special conversation with actor Arianna Rivas.
Tickets for each session are free for SCAD students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and $10 for the general public. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit SCADshow. Programming topics are subject to change.
SCADFILM
SCADFILM produces premier events for students and professionals working in film, television, animation, gaming, AR/VR, performing arts, and video production. Audiences experience year-round programming that includes screenings, master classes, and behind-the-scenes presentations from industry luminaries. SCADFILM’s events calendar includes SCAD AnimationFest, SCAD TVfest, SCADFILM In Focus, and the Storytelling Series.
The preeminent authority in film and television education, SCAD is the only university with professionally run casting offices, located in Atlanta and Savannah. With more than 8,100 SCAD students and alumni working in animation, entertainment, film, media production, writing, editing, broadcast media, and performing arts — with over 2,800 in Georgia alone — SCAD helps drive the multibillion-dollar film and television industry across the state, Business Facilities Magazine’s No. 1 region for film production. Additionally, SCAD students, alumni, and faculty have won Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, Golden Reels, Tonys, Annies, and more.
SCAD: The University for Creative Careers
SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls approximately 18,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 100 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university’s renowned research lab and prototype generator. SCAD has earned top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. A 2025 study found that 99% of recent SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 12 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more.
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