"I was holding a six pack of novelty Valentine's Day underwear at Walgreens and I thought, ‘I need to fix this'," says Eleanor Turner (B.F.A., fashion, 2008). "While packing last minute for a business trip, I realized I had no clean underwear. I went to the only store that was open and left with these hideous heart-covered underpants."

Turner saw the need for change. Now, assisted by the SCADpro Fund, the entrepreneur and designer's new venture The Big Favorite is redefining the business of underwear.

"People care about the companies they support, and how those companies operate on a global scale," Turner say. "Consumers want quality, comfort, and style, and they also want to know that the places they shop are mindful of their impact on the planet. That is why I started a company that is going to recycle underwear."

As part of SCAD's Guests and Gusto lecture series, Eleanor shared her vision with future designers.

Eleanor Turner:

The first piece of advice I give any entrepreneur is, "If you are going to fail, fail on somebody else's dime." When the company is yours, every decision matters. Where to locate, who to work with, how many hangers do you need? Every decision costs money, and when you first start out, money is tight.

Before I co-founded my first company, Argent, I worked at some of the biggest fashion houses in New York. Each stop taught me something new and prepared me for my own launch. My time at Tommy Hilfiger taught me the importance of the runway show to our marketing strategy. While at Tory Burch I learned how to work with wholesalers, and when I designed for J. Crew, I learned how to fail at a big scale.

Getting to make mistakes early in my career allowed me the ability to learn how to recover, re-prioritize, and not repeat them when my name was on the door.

I did not know that I was an entrepreneur at heart when I first got to SCAD. That changed one day when I found an old button in the garage when I was home my junior year.

It read "The Big Favorite." I asked my dad what it was and he told me my great-grandfather started a clothing business in the 1930s. From there I was hooked. I thought about his company and how I could follow in those footsteps. Today, I stand here, launching my second company, wiser and more prepared, believing the world is going to embrace recycled undergarments.

Over $500 million of garments is discarded every year, and more than 11 million pounds of undergarments are sent to landfills daily. I felt it was time for a change and we are making that change at The Big Favorite. We are going to use 100% pima cotton to make our undershirts and underwear to eliminate plastic particles. When our users are finished wearing these items, we will collect and aggregate the clothes, turning them back into new yarn, creating new garments.

Our goal is simple: reduce waste, have an eco-friendly supply chain, and do it from the bottom up.

Join The Big Favorite revolution.

"Books about books are my favorite," says Teresa Burk (M.A., historic preservation, 2016). As head librarian, SCAD Atlanta, Burk is in her element. The library, located in the university's main academic building at 1600 Peachtree, offers students an abundant and growing catalog of books, periodicals and visual resources. It's also home to Atlanta Print Collection and Artists' Book Collection, two teaching collections that Burk uses to facilitate student learning experiences complementary to classroom curricula. "Part of the instruction I do is referring students to books about artists' books," she explains.

Here are a few Burk picks, all of them in SCAD Libraries:

Andrew Roth, Philip E. Aarons, and Claire Lehmann, eds., Artists Who Make Books (Phaidon, 2017): "The SCAD Atlanta library has an incredible collection of artists' books. Numbering 2,300 volumes, it is one of the largest in the southeast. We have deep holdings in work from the 1960s and 1970s and from Atlanta's artist-run Nexus Press. We continue to build on the collection, and a point of pride is the student work we collect during the annual student artists' book competition. This book is a great place to start exploring the history of artists' books—you'll find many of the artists mentioned here in our library collection."

Jeff Brouws, Wendy Burton, and Hermann Zschiegner, eds., Various Small Books (MIT Press, 2013): "This book is a tribute to the artist Ed Ruscha. Ruscha is sometimes called the godfather of artists' books because of the small, photo-based books he made in the 1960s and '70s. Those books are highly collectable and we are fortunate to have some of them in the SCAD Libraries. This book shows the impact they had on other artists. It's also about looking and noticing what is interesting in the often-mundane world around you."

Martin Parr and Gerry Badger, The Photobook: A History (Phaidon, vol.1 2004, vol.2 2006, vol.3 2014): "This three-volume set about the history of the photobook brings together an incredible range of material. Parr and Badger discuss the photobook as propaganda, the stream-of-consciousness photobook, the artists' photobook, the company photobook, the protest photobook, and the identity photobook. This set is indispensable inspiration for photography students and all students involved in telling stories with pictures."

Sina Najafi (foreword), Curiosity and Method: Ten Years of Cabinet Magazine (Cabinet Books, 2012): "This is a book about a magazine in the form of an encyclopedia. In other words, not your average reference book. What I love is the range of topics covered–from animal architecture to synesthesia–things I find myself wanting to know more about. Because Cabinet magazine aims to 'encourage a new sense of curiosity,' this book is perfect for artists, designers and creatives. We also have the magazine available in the Atlanta Library."

Fleur Cowels, ed., The Best of Flair (Rizzoli, 2014): "Recently I was working with a graphic design class researching unusual publication design. We looked at some artists' books and contemporary, collectible magazines and when we got to Flair...yes! Goldmine. Flair was a short-lived (1950-51), innovative, lavishly produced magazine famous for its die-cut covers and superb coverage of the arts. You know a magazine that only lasted a year is special if a deluxe book about it has a third edition. We have some original issues of Flair in the special collections and several copies of this book in the SCAD Libraries."

Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (Random House, 2011): "This is the 50th anniversary edition of an influential and poetic book about the city, originally published in 1961. Jane Jacobs approaches cities from a humanistic perspective and writes about the ballet of street-life. I was introduced to Jacob's writing and activism during my graduate work in preservation studies here at SCAD. Her perspective helped me look at my surroundings with fresh eyes, not unlike Ed Ruscha's photobooks. I love books that prompt you to take another look, and consider another angle."

Teresa invites you to browse the Artist’s Book Collection.

SCAD Savannah Film Festival 2020 went virtual, screening 148 films total, including ten major studio pictures ahead of their general release. Film Fest has long prided itself as a place where student-made short films and future Oscar-winners share screens, and top stars interact directly with SCAD students. This year's virtual format changed the game, creating new, focused connections.

In interviews, workshops, and virtual masterclasses, students and festivalgoers heard directly talent from across the filmmaking spectrum, from writers to producers to top-marquee screen stars, including 2020 honorees Samuel L. Jackson, Millie Bobby Brown, Ethan Hawke, Jennifer Hudson, Steven Yeun, Delroy Lindo, Rachel Brosnahan, Billy Crystal, Glen Keane, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Tessa Thompson.

Ethan Hawke brought all the love, offering words of encouragement and strength to students at a #SAVFF masterclass: "Take good care of yourself. Treat yourself with respect. That's all that matters. Find ways of nurturing and caring for yourself like you would someone you love. Once you do that, you'll be able to nurture other people, because you'll be in a position of strength." Hawke was honored with the Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment Award for his prolific career, including his new Showtime project, The Good Lord Bird.

Tessa Thompson received the Vanguard Award and spoke on her roles in Creed and Thor: Ragnarak. Asked about her process, Thompson said: "When I'm approaching a part, something I always loved to feel is scared of something. When I played Bianca, the idea of having to write and perform original music was terrifying to me. Playing Valkyrie, the idea of having to do something so physical to pull off the bravado of a superhero, that terrified me. I love this feeling right after I get the job, or have the conversation with the director, a moment of panic wondering if I can do it."

Virtuoso Award winner Jennifer Hudson, hotly anticipated as Aretha Franklin in Respect, spoke about a career is built in incremental steps, from American Idol to Dreamgirls to the honor of playing the First Lady of Soul: "Aretha asked me, how are you going to portray me? And I said, Ma'am, how would you like to be portrayed?  Aretha spoke to me a lot about life. Her life. I'm so grateful to be able to be chosen to portray her, and to have a communication with her for her to teach me. She deserves see her legacy carried on and represented in the way she represented herself. I miss her presence to this day."

Hudson told students about working on the film's live singing scenes with director Leisl Tommy, who comes from an award-winning Broadway background. Hudson: "It's something we both were adamant about. I like living in the moment and a huge part of that comes from our church, and then there's her background as a theater director, which you have to perform live. When you can use the instrument of your voice while filming, it gives you more power and control over the moment."

Millie Bobby Brown received the Maverick Award. Brown produced and is starring as the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes in the Netflix film Enola Holmes. Brown is a something of an adoptee of the Georgia film industry, after her breakout role in Stranger Things was filmed in the state. "It's definitely fulfilling to see young girls and sometimes even women look at me and see inspiration. Usually in those moments I take the time to think about the women before me who helped me get to where I am. When people find me inspiring, I actually find them really inspiring. They usually tell me stories that are just amazing and make me want to do what I do even more. Inspired women inspire women. That's a quote I live by."

Stars, they're just like us? At #SAVFF, yes.

Tessa Thompson photo courtesy Awol Erizku.

"Horror gets a bad rap," said Bea Sequiera, executive vice president, Blumhouse Productions, during a virtual Wonder Women panel at this year's SCAD Savannah Film Festival. "Yet the genre has always been a vessel for talented storytellers to share new stories and points of views."

Sequiera was speaking during the panel Women of Blumhouse: Shaping Genre Storytelling at the Iconic House of Horror, celebrating the studio behind blockbusters including The Invisible Man and Get Out, award-winning shows Sharp Objects and The Purge, and new releases Freaky, and The Good Lord Bird.

Film Fest has continually showcased and elevated the voices of women in the film industry, exemplified by the return this year of the popular Wonder Women panel series. The Blumhouse panel, moderated by Variety features editor Jenelle Riley, welcomed three industry leaders from the studio: Lisa Niedenthal, head of physical production; Bea Sequeira, executive vice president of development and production for feature films; and Terri Taylor, head of casting. The panelists brought thrills and chills and insights to the virtual audience. 

Lisa Niedenthal: "The best advice I can give to anyone looking to make films is to dive right in. Working alongside a great director is a crash course in how to be a great producer, actor, editor, etc. Talented directors know every step of the process. They anticipate needs, and are always one step ahead of the production. Seeing the process through their eyes will help you as a creator in your own right, and allow you to pick and choose the techniques that speak to you as a leader. You do not have to start from square one. Learn from the people who have already paved the best paths."

Bea Sequeira: "From traditional slasher movies, to psychological thrillers, to the supernatural, horror films get to be something completely different. Our genre is oftentimes a 'trojan horse' in terms of social conversations. Our studio allows film makers the ability to share a specific viewpoint and message with the audience many mainstream films are unable to. That maneuverability brings writers, directors, and film professionals back to the genre and allows those of us who love thrillers, a robust and ever deepening collection of meaningful films."

Terri Taylor: "Our genre is always looking for new and emerging talent. As a casting director, I am constantly searching for actors who can portray the emotional and phycological turmoil that make our movies work. Yes, you are wrestling a demon in a vent, but is it believable? Are you drawing the viewers in? Can the audience sense your terror? Thrillers only work if the actors bring the audience into the scene with them. We all love giving young professionals the opportunity to showcase their craft and stretch their skills on set."

Thanks to everyone who made the 2020 SCAD Savannah Film Festival an event to remember.

"Artists are dialed to a different level of sensitivity," says Arnika Dawkins (M.A., digital photography, 2008). The eponymous founder of Arnika Dawkins Gallery is attuned to her own focused mission. Her Midwest Atlanta gallery shows photographic works by artists "speaking both to the moment we're in, and contributing to the grand dialogue across generations."

Dawkins has helped elevate the work of SCAD alumni LeAndra LeSeur (B.F.A., photography, 2014) and Ervin A. Johnson (M.F.A., photography, 2015) to international prominence. She celebrated Johnson's current show Variations on a Theme with a virtual opening in September. A fine art photographer in her own right, and member of SCAD Atlanta's first graduating class in 2008, Dawkins is a star in the SCAD firmament.

Arnika Dawkins:

The story of how I wound up attending SCAD begins with my youngest cousin, who was an on-air reporter in Savannah took me and my daughters through downtown Savannah and said, these buildings are part of what's called the Savannah College of Art and Design. Within months a big sign went up on Peachtree announcing the opening of SCAD Atlanta, and I decided to apply. I gave myself permission to pursue something I was passionate about. SCAD was perfect for me.

After I graduated, I interned at Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta, a local gallery with an amazing reputation, and got the bug to start my own gallery. I opened Arnika Dawkins Gallery in 2012, and my intern Le'Andra LeSeur said she wanted to introduce me to her classmate Ervin Johnson. At an opening here at the gallery and Le'Andra noticed that Ervin was heading out, so we ran over to say hello. When I took a look at his work, I had this powerful visceral reaction. I invited Ervin and Le'Andra to have their work in an exhibition in late 2015 that I titled On Being Black, where 22 artists showed work about being what being Black means to them.

Soon thereafter we did a solo exhibition of Ervin's work called #InHonor. It was Ervin's creative response to the Black Lives Matter movement, and it evolved into #InHonor: Monoliths, the second solo exhibition I've shown of his work. The art that I love to show is art that engages your head, your intellect, your heart, and your vision — then you have this thing going on which feels so good. It's been a real pleasure to show Ervin's work and see his evolution.

At the invitation of the European Cultural Centre, I submitted Ervin's work and it was shown at the 2019 Venice Biennale in their exhibition called Personal Structures. It was very well received and we were so happy to have Ervin go to Venice and receive all those accolades. I'm thrilled that SCAD is also showing that work during Photo London alongside Le'Andra's work, in concert with us having his third solo show here at the gallery called Variations on a Theme. These portraits are mesmerizing, captivating, and impactful. When you see them, you see why.

It is my hope as gallerist that by being part of this visual dialogue we can move the needle and create questions that people can reflect on. Art has the ability to do that. Through these conversations, we can progress and then there's great benefit to us all, people of all races, because we're all part of each other's existence.

Visit Arnika Dawkins Gallery.

Banner image: Ervin A. Johnson, Variation 17, photographic mixed media on cotton (detail), 2020.

Director Nicola Rinciari (B.F.A., film and television, 2020) is a finalist at the 2020 Student Academy Awards for his film Our Side. The 12-minute short, co-written by Rinciari and Emily Dillard (B.F.A., film and television, 2020), will have its Southeast U.S. premiere as part of the "Live Action Shorts" program at this year's SCAD Savannah Film Festival.

Our Side tells the story of an African caregiver named Adillah living in Sicily. When new laws render her visa invalid, Adillah must decide between saving herself or the elderly man in her care. Addressing issues surrounding immigration and discrimination, Our Side was filmed on location during winter quarter. A crew of 21 SCAD students flew to Italy specifically to work on the project.

The film represents something of a homecoming for Rinciari. Born in Palermo, Rinciari spent his childhood sitting in front of his family's television creating an imagined sequel to the 1994 Disney film The Lion King with crayons and colored pencils. "I remember drawing constantly while I watched the behind-the-scenes extras on that VHS tape," Rinciari says. Nicola's mother helped him photograph those drawings, before he scrolled through the images to see his story come to life. "My mom and I became filmmakers in our kitchen."

Today, Nicola lives in Los Angeles and works as a previs artist at The Third Floor, Inc.

Nicola Rinciari:

As a child I was fascinated with movies. Spider-Man was the first film I ever saw in a theater. I loved it, and it ignited my passion for filmmaking. I knew I wanted to get into the film industry, and I understood I needed to come to America to give myself the best chance for success.

When I was looking at film schools, I applied to SCAD. As I was mulling the decision to leave my home, I saw a magazine ad discussing Atlanta's booming film industry and there he was — Spider-Man. The newest installments of the Spider-Man franchise were shot partly in Georgia, and instantly I knew I was going to SCAD. I had never been to America, and Atlanta seemed a world away from Palermo. I packed my bags, and along with my parents made the journey.

When I arrived at SCAD, my family and I met film professor and department chair D.W. Moffett. He heard us speaking Italian and began speaking to us in our language! From then on, D.W. became a mentor to me. Professor Moffett helped me pick the student crew I took to Italy to make Our Side, and spent hours talking to me about the script and final edits. I could not have done it without his expert guidance.

The film was a huge undertaking. We combined the crew of SCAD students with a crew I put together of local residents who helped helped people understand why we were shutting down their streets. The entire experience was incredible, and I am grateful for everyone who made it possible.

I am especially thankful to my partner Emily Dillard. Without her expertise and strength, this Student Oscar nomination would not be possible. The experience has been life changing.

The winners of the 2020 Student Academy awards will be announced on Oct. 21, 2020.

Our Side will screen at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival on Monday, Oct. 26.

Emily Dillard and Nicola Rinciari

“I wouldn't undersell the complexity of the human mind just yet," remarked Jeremy Kobus, professor of creative business leadership, SCAD Atlanta, during his workshop “Skills You'll Need to Survive the Rise of Artificial Intelligence." Kobus geared his hour-long interactive talk, delivered via Zoom, toward students intent on “creating value in an increasingly automated world."

“I don't think AI is going to lead to a dystopic future. I think it's going to enhance and solve major problems we're facing today, like climate change." Befitting a soft machine synthesizing swirling parfaits of information, Kobus spoke from an expansive, engaging range of knowledge. In his fifth year as a SCAD professor, Kobus is a student favorite, shown in the diversity of those who chose to attend his workshop, including majors in advertising, graphic design, UX design, industrial design, film and television, architecture, sequential art, and luxury and fashion management.

A former professional StarCraft player (“I was a bit of a nerd growing up"), Kobus began with basic definitions (“Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence by machines"), before pointing out that AI already lives in smart phones (“Just ask Siri") that induce compulsive scrolling (“Tik Tok doesn't say it's a social media company, it claims it's an AI company"). He connected uses for AI from gaming to cyberwarfare, and pointed out that AlphaGo beating the world's number one Go player only heightened China's attention to AI's potential.

Kobus encouraged students to throw questions and comments into the Zoom chat. This led to discussions of the feasibility of Neuralink and new applications of the Turing Test. “Don't think you're ultra-special simply because you can create art," Kobus said. “AI is making psychedelic art without human intervention through Google's DeepDream project right now."

Humor was not beyond the workshop's domain, though the professor seemed dead serious when he stared directly at the camera to address our AI overlords: “Where's my flying car? I don't have my flying car yet!"

As a takeaway, Kobus listed skills he believes students will need to thrive in an age of AI.

1) Complex problem solving. “Be able to create unique solutions because you have an understanding of multiple fields. If you get your degree in animation, have knowledge in philosophy, in science, in business, in technology. Don't think about your life as a silo. Your goal is to have multiple buckets of knowledge and understand how they interact."
2) Critical thinking. “Know how to gather facts as a route to making sound judgements."
3) Leadership. “Being a leader is one thing I believe AI will never be able to replicate. That means developing your emotional intelligence, and know how to manage people."
4) Hobbies. “The most innovative people have a lot of hobbies. If you don't like it, move on. Pick up a cello today, meet new people tomorrow, plant crops the day after that."
5) Traveling. “That doesn't mean you need to take an extravagant trip to the other side of the world. It can mean cycling across your city into a new neighborhood."
6) Reading. “I recommend two books: Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark, and AI Superpowers by Kai-Fu Lee."

Learn more about creative business leadership at SCAD.

It's one thing to design a great collection. It's another to present it effectively. Out of 4482 entrants to the i-D x ARTSTHREAD Global Design Graduate Show 2020, the work of alumna September Park (B.F.A., fashion, 2020) stands out.

The garments in her collection PS² (Park September Postal Service), inspired by postal workers and packaging materials, sport shipping labels linking to her digital portfolio: "It shows I'm ready for new opportunities."

Sponsored by Gucci, the international competition was open to all art and design students graduating in 2019-20. From the judge’s curated shortlist, Park’s collection received the most public support in the Sports & Denim category.
 
The Seoul, Korea native is currently interning in New York for Victor Li. When Park Zoom’d with SCADworks, she’d just finished a call with Alex Brownless, co-founder of ARTSTHREAD, to discuss next steps in her career.

September Park:

When I heard about ARTSTHREAD competition, my senior collection was finished, but I went back to work on how I presented the collection on the digital platform, to make sure it best represented my concept and style.

My initial idea for PS² was a concept design based on "delivery," where I’m delivering stories through a fashion collection. At the same time, part of my concept was, How do I deliver myself to a potential employer?

I thought about the postal service, where a mail carrier comes to your door and delivers presents and joy, and also important mail, like voting information. I interviewed a person who works in the mailbox store next to Eckburg Hall. He said the work is very sensitive regarding time and quality, and means working every day, locally and internationally. I want to be that kind of person, who you can trust to deliver, and get a job done right and done fast. And technically, I am shipped from my home in Korea to study in the United States.

I chose to take my inspiration from the postal service. The postal service is for everyone. I wanted to make sure my collection is for everyone too. That's why I used elastic waistbands and adjustable straps, to fit the clothing to your body. I wanted to make sure this collection is for all sizes and all genders. When I shop for clothes, I shop in women’s wear and in the men’s section too. It’s important to mix genders in my collection because I personally wear clothing that way.

Fashion professor Mitchell Vassie helped me develop my concepts and portfolio, and another incredible fashion professor, Sachiko Honda helped me with the pattern making process. I was inspired by the torn edges of packaging, and created a pattern, then used glossy ink to print it on the jumpsuit with flatbed printing.

I’ve been friends with Regina La Ò (B.F.A., graphic design, 2019) since freshman year at SCAD. Her style matches my aesthetic, and I asked her to design some shipping labels for me. She designed my fantastic logo, and the QR code on the label links to my portfolio. It all connects to the inspiration for the collection itself: packaging, shipping, and delivery.

My journey really began when I was attending North Jakarta International School, and a representative from SCAD came in. At the time I was just discovering my love of art, and the SCAD representative said she saw potential in my work. I applied to SCAD and was offered a scholarship. That was a magical moment for me. SCAD gave me true friendships, love, and proof that if I keep pushing myself, there is always something good that can happen.

Visit September Park and view her winning portfolio.

As the collection strategy librarian at the Jen Library, SCAD Savannah, Jackie Dunn knows books. She estimates the Jen Library added 2700 new print titles in the past year, as the award-winning facility reopened for fall quarter with new safety precautions, enabling students to continue to check out materials, and to use computers, scanners, and study areas.

A concerted focus on e-book titles is facilitating an enriched experience for students learning remotely and via eLearning. "We also acquired over 300 new e-book titles this past spring and summer," Dunn says. "The trend of collecting larger volumes of digital materials will continue."

Dunn's personal reading habits are inextricable from her professional dedication. Here are a few books Jackie loves, all of them in the SCAD Libraries holdings.

Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (Milkweed Editions, 2013): "Authored by an indigenous woman who is also a botanist, this book offers profound insights into the natural world. Spirit and science unite, inspiring gratitude and offering essential lessons on ecology at a time when sorely needed."

Paul Koudounaris, Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures & Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs (Thames & Hudson, 2013): "The word ‘relic' brings to mind a timeworn, dusty object; not so with the relics captured in these photos. Bejeweled and adorned in intricate textiles, the bodies of the catacomb saints challenge our ideas of corporeality, death, and holiness. Gaining access to these treasures was no small feat for Koudounaris, and the stories accompanying the photos are often surprisingly humorous."

Kate Atkinson, Life After Life (Back Bay Books, 2013): "This novel ponders the question: What if we could live our lives again and again, until we finally got it "right?" Set against the dramatic backdrop of World War II in England, the reader follows the life (lives, rather) of Ursula Todd, as she tinkers with her destiny and challenges fate time and again. " 

Christopher Marley, Pheromone: The Insect Artwork of Christopher Marley (Pomegranate Communications, 2008): "Marley's images of jewel-like insects captivate and inspire. His photography is unaltered; colors have not been adjusted or saturated for visual affect. Many of the photos have been printed with fifth-color metallic ink and are accompanied by essays on insects, color, and design. If you are looking for visual stimulation, let this book be your muse."

Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles (Ecco, 2012): "The story of Achilles has been told countless times, but never in quite so intense or gut-wrenching a fashion. This unique homage to The Iliad is a story of war, but also of love and sacrifice. Miller brings the heroes and heroines of ancient Greece back to life, with unforgettable dimensionality."

Sabrina Scott, Witchbody: A Graphic Novel (Weiser Books, 2019): "One of the unfortunate aspects of adulthood is that we often become disenchanted with our world. The sense of wonder that accompanied childhood is replaced by the stresses of everyday life. Witchbody reignites feelings of wonder and mystery through unique stream-of-consciousness text and beguiling illustrations, reminding us that the magic of our universe is always within reach."

Jackie invites you to search the SCAD Libraries catalog and databases and use the online feature "Ask A Librarian"!

There's something good on the event horizon: the 23rd annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival will take place as an all-virtual experience, Oct. 24–31, 2020. The largest university-run film festival in the U.S., the eight-day celebration of cinematic excellence honors professional and student filmmakers and welcomes industry luminaries, including award-winning directors, writers and actors across the big screen.

A key stop on the Academy Awards festival circuit, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival will screen 148 films, including 20 narrative films, 17 documentary films and 111 shorts, with 14 world premieres, four U.S. premieres and four North American premieres. The festival kicks off Saturday, Oct. 24, with the opening-night Gala Screening of I'm Your Woman, directed by Julia Hart and featuring Spotlight Award honoree Rachel Brosnahan. The festival culminates Saturday, Oct. 31, with the closing-night Gala Screening of One Night in Miami, directed by Regina King. Minari will be featured as a Gala Spotlight Screening on Mon., Oct. 26, with a special Q&A with actor Steven Yeun and director Lee Isaac Chung.

The 2020 schedule includes Gala and Signature Screenings, professional and student competition films, Docs to Watch, Shorts Spotlight, Global Shorts Forum, and the Wonder Women and Below the Line panel series. The SCAD Savannah Film Festival has screened more than 125 Academy Award-nominated films and has honored more than 90 legendary actors, directors, producers, writers and filmmakers from around the world. Entertainment Weekly returns as a media partner to help curate this year's programming and moderate select talent panels.

SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace said, "SCAD screens the stories that matter to our students and to viewers around the globe. And this year, everybody's got the best seat in the house!"

SCAD will honor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Trial of the Chicago 7) with the Distinguished Performance Award, Rachel Brosnahan (I'm Your Woman) and Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods) with the Spotlight Award, Millie Bobby Brown (Enola Holmes) with the Maverick Award, Ethan Hawke (The Good Lord Bird) with the Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment Award, Jennifer Hudson (Respect) with the Virtuoso Award and Glen Keane (Over the Moon) with the Lifetime Achievement in Animation Award.

"We are so excited for the virtual program we've put together this year, from our film screenings to our amazing guests and panelists," said SCAD Savannah Film Festival Executive Director Christina Routhier. "I am even more proud that the festival will be screening films from more than 64 women filmmakers and hosting our annual Wonder Women panels, making us one of the few festivals that continues to highlight the work of women artists from around the world."

Celebrating its 23rd year, the festival and competition provide SCAD students with opportunities as unique as the selected films. This year, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival received more than 1,500 submissions for the competition series. During the festival, students from every academic discipline connect with leaders from the entertainment industry through master classes, coffee talks, lectures, workshops and panel discussions. Savannah, a premier film hub in the Southeast, promotes quality movies produced by independent and studio filmmakers.

For scheduling and programming, visit the SCAD Savannah Film Festival site.