A native of San Isidro de Heredia, Costa Rica, Antonio Gil (B.F.A., visual effects; B.F.A., interactive design and game development) is a video game polymath. Parallel to his multifaceted SCAD education, Gil has crystallized his skills working winter and summer breaks at leading game development company Fair Play Labs. Director and lead designer of the video game "Palm Dreams" (winner of the 2018 SCAD Entelechy Best in Show award), Gil recently delivered a "lightning lecture" at PULSE Art + Technology at the Telfair Museum, where he and his "Palm Dreams" collaborators showcased their inventive, inspiring game.

Antonio Gil:

Everything has been done with action platform video games except a game where you can't walk or run. A game where you play as a palm tree is an interesting way to reinterpret motion.

The avatar of the palm tree lends itself naturally to specific mechanics: the projectile coconut, extensions from the tree trunk. Those are fun departure points to extrapolate from as we've designed the game.

The theme of "Palm Dreams" is tropical ecosystems. There's a mindset that the tropics are idyllic beaches. As a general line of latitude, there are African countries like Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, and the island of Socotra in Yemen, which have different tropical environments. We wanted to represent that, and make "Palm Dreams" a love letter to something very personal: the tropical environment.

I'm a huge proponent of "team work makes the dream work." Game development is fundamentally social. A cooperative relationship was important to making "Palm Dreams." As a team, we viewed David Attenborough's "Island," an episode of Planet Earth II, to gather documentary references. There's a utility to it, and it's an intrinsically pleasant shared experience. These team-building experiences are valuable.

The narrative concept of "Palm Dreams" is perseverance. The palm tree represents nature. The coconut is the seedling of life. The villain is a volcanic deity with a tabula rasa mindset. Intrinsically a game has to have conflict. I think about the conflict in the game as a discussion. The palm tree is trying to reach the volcano to stave off eruption. As an emissary of nature, the palm tree represents the idea that we can work with what we have rather than taking away everything that could be growing.

Do games have a function beyond entertainment?  Action games require dexterity, strategy games require forward planning, rhythm games teach music and coordination, physics-based games have ties to math. It's fun to play around with these different skill sets. As game designers, we get to play around with them as well.

I love the video game industry and its exploration of options. As game designers, we too are playing a game: how to make something that's presentable, consumable, and invites problem-solving. It's wonderful. Let's keep the coconut rolling.

"Palm Dreams" (Trickbox Games) development team:

Antonio Gil: direction, lead design, lighting
Sukrit Tanticharoenkiat (B.F.A., interactive design and game development): lead programming
Bailey Wheatland (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2018): art lead
Benjamin Denison (B.F.A., interactive design and game development): programming, concept art
Colton Olds (B.F.A., dramatic writing): design
Emilio Marullo (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2018): design
Grey Hoffman (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2018): 3D art
Francis Curtin (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2018): texture art
Justin Verscheure (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2018): optimization
Brandon Greenawalt (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2018): 3D/tech art
Steven Armstrong (B.F.A., film and television, 2018): sound design, video editing
Charlie Duff (B.F.A., sound design, 2018): sound design, sound implementation
Justin Skiles (B.F.A., interactive design and game development, 2018): sound design

See the "Palm Dreams" trailer here.

Visit the "Palm Dreams" official website.

Learn more about the interactive design and game development program at SCAD.

SCAD students presented elevated designs at the fifth annual SCAD Hong Kong Fashion Showcase, Jan. 10, 2019, an event that attracted 450 industry guests. Curated by Michael Fink, Dean of the SCAD School of Fashion, the showcase featured fashion vignettes throughout the former North Kowloon Magistracy building in Sham Shui Po. A total of 52 designs from 20 senior fashion students and recent alumni were spotlighted.

Held at the university's historic North Kowloon campus, the event hosted special guests including renowned Hong Kong supermodel Kathy Chow, and VIP industry representatives Ma Yao, Mimi Tang, Janice Wong and Lu Lu Cheung, in recognition of SCAD students' technical and conceptual achievement in fashion.

SCAD alumni designs showcased at the Hong Kong Fashion Showcase 2019.

SCAD Hong Kong Fashion Showcase 2019 highlighted the university's commitment to professionally preparing young design talent for creative careers. The show provided a high-profile platform for students to connect with elite professionals from global leading brands including Chanel, Dior, Bulgari, Swarovski and YSL. The show was distinguished by the work of SCAD Hong Kong fashion students Maria Nava (B.F.A., fashion, 2018), Tammi Lau (B.F.A., fashion, 2018), Cheryl Ma (B.F.A., fashion, 2018) and Dylan Helyer (B.F.A., fashion, 2018).

Focusing on womenswear, Cheryl Ma is particularly interested in texture and tactile sensations as seen in her collection "RISE", inspired by the ability of fungi to continue to grow despite adversity. Ma is currently employed as a fashion designer for an established textile company in Hong Kong.

Maria Nava's collection "Green" is a futuristic women's collection inspired by movement and German Expressionism, visible in its custom fabrication, lenticular prints, odd silhouettes and distorted conventional shapes. Nava is currently developing her own label as a fashion designer.

Design from SCAD alumna Maria Nava’s "Green" collection, 2019.

Tammi Lau's abstract womenswear collection "Windaholic" draws inspiration from the movement of wind and its symbolic meanings. Incorporating illusion graphics, "Windaholic" creates a psychedelic mirage using neoprene fabrics. Tammi is currently working as an assistant fashion designer in the city.

Dylan Helyer's collection "Dream State" emphasized sustainability, incorporated Swarovski crystals, and was inspired by the ocean and aquatic life. Helyer currently works as senior fashion designer at ERTH.

SCAD fashion students gained first-hand experience running the show's backstage operations for this professional production, as special guest Kathy Chow shared her invaluable experience as a supermodel in the fashion industry in Hong Kong.

"The top ranked fashion program at SCAD offers a rigorous curriculum structured around principles of design, unbounded creativity and state-of-the-art technology, and this is evident in the latest fashion collections produced at SCAD Hong Kong," said Mr. Khoi Vo, Vice President for SCAD Hong Kong. "SCAD students are flawlessly prepared for leadership in the dynamic and ultra-competitive global fashion industry, and the creations presented at this year's Fashion Showcase 2019 are a true reflection of that."

Above: Design from SCAD alumna Tammi Lau’s "Windaholic" collection, 2019.

Top banner image: Design from SCAD alumna Cheryl Ma’s "Rise" collection, 2019.

Learn more about SCAD Hong Kong and SCAD fashion degree programs.

SCAD is proud to present SCAD AT MIAMI, a celebration of contemporary art and creative education at Design Miami/ during Miami Art Week, Dec. 5-9, 2018. SCAD is the official university partner for Design Miami/ and will host and participate in events throughout the week to celebrate the university's 40th anniversary.

This year SCAD AT MIAMI will host the SCAD Alumni Showcase at Design Miami/, allowing guests to discover six artists shaping innovative environments. The alumni artists include Christian Dunbar (M.F.A., furniture design, 2016; B.F.A., furniture design 2013); Katie Glusica (M.F.A., fibers, 2011); Kristina Larson (M.A., arts administration, 2012); Kyle Millsap (B.F.A., illustration, 2006); Eny Lee Parker (M.F.A., furniture design, 2018; M.A., furniture design, 2016: B.F.A., interior design, 2011); and Katy Skelton (M.F.A., furniture design, 2011).

From furniture design and sculpture to textiles and ceramics, the work of these alumni-artists explores expressive elements of texture and shape in relationship to habitable environments. As a point of reunion, this space promises a unique opportunity to learn more about the innovative work of SCAD alumni and the university's numerous award-winning degree programs.

"This year's Design Miami celebration of contemporary design coincides with SCAD's 40th anniversary,” said SCAD's president and founder Paula Wallace. "I applaud our university's more than 40,000 alumni around the world who shape today's global art and design culture. Be sure to check out SCAD AT MIAMI inside Design Miami for fresh takes on all that's new in design — from a classic cabinet elevated by lustrous brass knobs and geometric moulding to a teardrop lamp formed from delicate strips of river recovered cypress."

In celebration of SCAD's 40th anniversary, president Wallace will also lead two dynamic discussions as part of Design Miami's Design Talks program. The first will be a panel discussion titled "Lighting Fires: Design Education for a Changing World” exploring the evolving nature of design education and how institutions are reimagining programs to allow sustainable futures for their students.  President Wallace will be moderating the panel with design leaders including Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian director of education Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar, designer Sabine Marcelis, and CGJ consulting principal Carolina Garcia Jayaram.

The second design talk, "Next Gen Insight: Students Innovating Design from the Inside Out” will be an insider discussion between President Wallace and Google design manager III Michael Buzzard on the importance of building connectivity between design professionals and academia. Directly following the design talks, university alumni and guests will be invited to the SCAD 40th anniversary celebration at Design Miami/ at 5:30 pm.

In addition to being the university partner at Design Miami/, SCAD will co-present the 2018 Design Visionary Award to this year's recipients Pedro Reyes and Carla Fernandez. The annual award is given to creative talents across all fields engaging with design who have made significant contributions that offer a tangible and lasting impact.

Contemporary artist Reyes and fashion design Fernandez, who are married, will present a collaborative exhibition at Design Miami/ 2018 that will travel to the SCAD Museum of Art for the university's annual deFINE Art festival in February 2019. SCAD deFINE ART is the university's annual program of exhibitions, lectures, performances and public events that highlights emerging and established artists and visionaries. This year marks the 10th anniversary for SCAD deFINE ART and will take place Feb. 26-28, 2019 at the university's Atlanta, Hong Kong, and Savannah locations.

This is the fifth year SCAD has exhibited during Miami Art Week. Last year, the university presented Chroma, an exhibition of immersive installations by renowned artist and SCAD deFINE ART 2017 honoree Carlos Cruz-Diez.

Additional SCAD AT MIAMI events scheduled throughout the week include a VIP and press preview, artist conversations, workshops, and admission information sessions for prospective students and families.

Design Miami/ takes place at Meridian Avenue & 19th Street, Miami Beach, Florida.

For more information about SCAD AT MIAMI, visit SCADATMIAMI.COM.

"Buildings of Savannah" (University of Virginia Press, 2016), authored by SCAD architectural history chair Robin Williams and departmental colleagues David Gobel, Patrick Haughey, Daves Rossell and Karl Schuler, has received the 2018 Award of Excellence for Best Guidebook from the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians.

The book profiles over 350 buildings, monuments and landscapes in Savannah and its environs, including numerous SCAD buildings. These entries situate each building within a larger historical context. Some of the city’s most innovative historic buildings later became part of SCAD’s unique Savannah location, as the entries below show.

Propes Hall, SCAD (originally: Citizens Bank of Savannah)
Built 1895, Gottfried L. Norrman. 15 Drayton St.
Savannah's first true skyscraper, this five-story building was surprisingly early in utilizing the key components of contemporary high-rises in larger American cities: steel frame, exterior curtain walls, fireproofing with brick and terra-cotta, an elevator. The structure follows the conventional tripartite composition, but with an eclectic combination of a rusticated ground floor reminiscent of Richardsonian Romanesque buildings of the 1880s and baroque details of Beaux-Arts classicism above. SCAD acquired the building in 1992.

Trustees Theater, SCAD (originally: Weis Theater)
Built 1946, Tucker and Howell; 1989-1998 restoration; 2013 renovation. 216 E. Broughton St.
This is one of several theaters built by the Weis family of Savannah. The mid-block location and positioning of the auditorium parallel to Broughton Street reflects the dexterous situating of theaters within commercial blocks. The sculptural neon-lit marquee (containing three-quarters of a mile of cathode tubing) and sign are typical of Art Moderne, while the streamlined rounded wall returns and the recessed lighting reflect the later phase of Art Deco. The small lobby spaces belie the large auditorium, which seats more than 1,100. This was the first theater in Savannah designed with modern air-conditioning, considered an engineering marvel for the time, as was the state-of-the-art sound and projection equipment. The theater closed in 1980, was purchased by SCAD in 1989, and reopened in 1998. In 2013, the college installed new seats and modified some interior details; the historic seats found new life in the Savannah Theater and the Tybee Post Theater.

Jen Library, SCAD (originally: Levy's Department Store)
Built 1925; 1953-1954 expanded and remodeled, Levy and Kiley; 1996-1999 remodeled. 201 E. Broughton St.
In 1925, local retailer Levy's Department Store constructed a traditional brick building on the western two-fifths of this site. The pioneering department store ownership group, Allied Stores, acquired Levy's in 1947, and in 1953 embarked on a dramatic remodeling of the existing building and a reinforced-concrete expansion on the rest of the block (with the two structural systems visible through ceiling grills). Levy and Kiley's design reflects 1950s modernism, with the cantilevered canopy, projecting blade sign, and windowless upper stories that took advantage of artificial lighting and air-conditioning. Opening in 1954, the new store featured a "motorstair," possibly the city's first escalator. Levy's merged in 1985 with Maas Brothers (also owned by Allied), who operated the store under the latter name until 1987, when it closed. SCAD acquired the building in 1996 and after extensive interior renovations and minor exterior modifications (mainly covering the original green tiles at the corners and adding the metal shades) opened it in 1999 as its main library, renamed in honor of primary benefactors Lancy and Jim Jen.

Oglethorpe House, SCAD (originally: Downtowner Motor Inn)
Built 1964; 1990, 1996, 2002 renovations. 201 W. Oglethorpe Ave.
The Downtowner Motor Inn brought an automobile-oriented modernity to Savannah's historic district. Founded in Memphis in 1958, the Downtowner Corporation was a small national chain that sought to bridge the gap between suburban and urban motels by creating mid-rise, hovering, concrete-frame blocks surrounded by parking lots. The external staircases and balcony corridors, enlivened with traditional ornate ironwork, dramatize a sense of movement. Originally described as having "204 ultra-modern rooms or suites designed to give the utmost comfort and luxury," the building was converted into a SCAD dormitory in 1990.

Propes Hall photograph by Robin B. Williams, from "Buildings of Savannah."

Order "Buildings of Savannah" here.

On a cinematically misty Wednesday evening, a group of SCAD interior design and fibers students gathered in a corner classroom of Pepe Hall for an awards presentation. Representatives from Kravet, the industry leader in to-the-trade fabric and home furnishings, were joined by SCAD chair of fibers Cayewah Easley, chair of interior design Ryan Hansen, school of building arts dean Geoffrey Taylor and honorary dean Margaret Russell, as well as a number of SCAD fibers and interior design professors.

Thirty-four student teams, each comprised of one SCAD fibers student and one SCAD interior design student, displayed mock-ups of collections based on historic and current Savannah. It was the culmination of the Kravet Design of Distinction Competition, part of the company's Design Grad initiative facilitating students becoming working professionals. It was a full house.

At the front of the room stood Beth Greene, Kravet executive VP of marketing and strategic branding. "You know the guy at the end of 'Fiddler on the Roof' holding the sewing machine? That's our founder, Samuel Kravet," Greene said. A film commemorating the 100th anniversary of the family-owned business was screened, depicting its founder sourcing fabric on the Lower East Side and scenes inside the company's current spacious design studio in Manhattan. Then it was award time.

"We judged based on your inspiration," Greene told students, "the way you told your story, the way you presented it visually, and the way you interpreted the prompt to create fabrics."

Four runners-up received lavish coffee table books and certificates, before Greene announced "the winning team…Shelby and Sheridan!" An extended ovation followed as Shelby Pogue (B.F.A., fibers) and Sheridan Markham (M.F.A., interior design) threaded their way to the front of the room. "As a special treat for winning the competition," Greene told them, "we're going to bring you to New York to visit our archive and design studio." (Sheridan: "Trying not to cry right now." Shelby: "Thank you so much. Can I hug you?")

Room concept, part of Markham and Pogue's winning design.

After the winning duo enjoyed bonus kudos from their fellow students, everyone crowded around a table where Kravet sales representatives Tim McAlpin and Savannah Emerson unfurled sumptuous patterned fabrics from the company's Modern Tailor collection with names like London Calling, Pocket Square, Proxmire, and Catwalk.

"Wool is one of our favorite fabrics because it has breathability," McAlpin said. "Mohair velvet will last forever."

"Paisley and plaids are coming back," added Emerson. "The generational skip and granny chic are real."

The Kravet fabrics were wonderful to look at and feel. (Touching was encouraged). Afterwards, the winning team spoke about their work.

Sheridan Markham: "We're actually friends. We're both from Clearwater, Florida."

Shelby Pogue: "I went to the fibers club interest meeting for this Kravet competition, and thought, maybe Sheridan will want to do it with me. Then she reached out to me and said, why don't we work together?"

Sheridan: "We started by identifying three key elements of Savannah: native plants, building materials like Savannah brick, and distinctive architectural motifs."

Shelby: "I love to draw flowers, so we went to a botanical garden and found flowers native to Georgia. Our color palette came from that, as well as the print that wound up on the curtains and planters."

Sheridan: "It was amazing to watch Shelby work because she drew all the flowers herself, scanned them in after she watercolored them, then pieced them all together. And as we were walking around town, we started seeing the quatrefoil everywhere. It's a detail from the historic homes of Savannah, and we used that motif in our fabric design."

Shelby: "That inspired the print on the pillows. I took a potato and carved that shape into the potato and put in ink and stamped it and made an embroidery stitch."

Sheridan: "She used a real potato!"

At the event's conclusion Kravet's Beth Greene came forward with a final enticement to all participating SCAD students.

"We've made a commitment as a company to support the future of this business, and that starts with you," Greene said. "When you're in the New York vicinity, you have an open invitation to visit us."

Sheridan Markham and Shelby Pogue are already on their way.

Kravet Design of Distinction Competition winners Shelby Pogue (left) and Sheridan Markham.

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and Entertainment Weekly (EW) have announced a partnership to spotlight two of the university’s annual signature events celebrating the film and television industries. EW will serve as an offical media partner for both the 2018 SCAD Savannah Film Festival and the 2019 SCAD aTVfest in Atlanta.

For the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, EW will help program and moderate select talent panels. EW will also host a photo and video studio where talent will create exclusive content to run across EW’s print, digital and social platforms.

"SCAD Savannah Film Festival is a key event for the film community so Entertainment Weekly embraced the opportunity to participate in a larger way this year," says Henry Goldblatt, Editor in Chief of Entertainment Weekly. "We are thrilled to be able to help bring together our incredible EW writers and editors with some of today’s most compelling talent to showcase their experiences and projects."

As part of the partnership, Entertainment Weekly will host the EW Breakout Award Panel during the SCAD Savannah Film Festival on Saturday, October 27. The panel will highlight compelling talent who have contributed significantly in a performance role this year. A moderated discussion will showcase their personalities as they reflect on their roads to success and current projects. Participating in the panel are SCAD alumna Kayli Carter ("Private Life"), Raúl Castillo ("We the Animals"), Winston Duke ("Black Panther"), Elsie Fisher ("Eighth Grade"), Thomasin McKenzie ("Leave No Trace"), Hari Nef ("Assassination Nation") and Millicent Simmonds ("A Quiet Place").
 
In addition, SCAD Savannah Film Festival and Entertainment Weekly are proud to announce two more honorees: Chloë Grace Moretz will receive the Lumiere Award and John David Washington will receive the Distinguished Performance Award. They join fellow honorees Hugh Jackman, Emily Blunt, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Stephan James, John Krasinski, KiKi Layne and Amandla Stenberg.

Moretz is currently starring in the title role of "The Miseducation of Cameron Post," which will screen on Friday, November 2 with a Q&A. Known for her roles in "Kick-Ass," "Let Me In"  and "Clouds of Sils Maria," she lent her voice to "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya," which received a 2015 Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film.
 
Washington will participate in a Q&A following a screening of "BlacKkKlansman," directed by Spike Lee on Wednesday, October 31. The film premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival to a standing ovation and won the Grand Prix.

Celebrating its 21st year, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival provides SCAD students with opportunities as unique as the selected films. This year, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival received a record-breaking 2,300 submissions for the competition film 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.

Tickets and passes are available for purchase online at savannahboxoffice.com, by telephone at 912.525.5050, or in person at the Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St., Savannah. Visit filmfest.scad.edu for a complete list of films and screening locations.

It's not a spoiler to call "Cinematographer" timely. The new, 11-minute documentary by Demi Waldron (B.F.A., film and television, 2018), an Official Selection of the 2018 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, features six women—Reed Morano, Autumn Eakin, Kate Arizmendi, Maria Rusche, Allison Anderson and Emoni Aikens—discussing their lives as cinematographers in an industry undergoing overdue changes.

This year, director of photography (DP) Rachel Morrison was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for feature film "Mudbound"—the first female nominee in that category in the 90-year history of the Oscars. This prompted Waldron to insert two key archival clips from Academy ceremonies past at the beginning of "Cinematographer." Slight reveal: One clip features a young Elizabeth Taylor, the other a not-so-young John Wayne.

Waldron and collaborator Claudia Burgi (B.F.A., film and television, 2018) will be at both screenings of "Cinematographer" at this year's SCAD Savannah Film Festival. Come see the film, and meet the young women behind it.

Demi Waldron:

We wanted to make our film's perspective as accurate as possible, and highlight different age groups and experience levels. Each woman in "Cinematographer" came to the film industry in a different way and they represent a variety of styles. I cut the film to create a sense of them having a conversation, like they were talking back and forth to each other, which worked really well. Professor Alex Newton guided me throughout the editing process and gave great advice.

One wonderful thing about SCAD is I was able to shoot, shoot, shoot. As a student, every weekend I'd get on a project and shoot it and learn. Being a DP is challenging. There are a lot of different aspects of being a DP beyond shooting, like managing the set. Claudia and I had been talking for a long time about making a film about women in film. We decided to focus it on DPs, since that's what we are and have the most experience with.

With Reed Morano, I've followed her work longer than any other DP. I saw Reed speak at the Savannah Film Festival in 2015. Then I went to one of her screenings in New York and got to hear her talk about her new film "I Think We're Alone Now." She had recently won her Emmy for directing "The Handmaid's Tale." She's one of my biggest inspirations and role models.

The Emmys and Academy Awards are trying to become more inclusive. The thought occurred to me that it hasn't always been this way, so I went back and watched every single Academy Award Best Cinematography presentation I could find. I think I watched fifty or sixty of them on YouTube. I found two where I thought, if I open my film with these clips, without saying anything else, that sets the mood: It starts then and ends now. Having that historical context is important.

I'm excited to come back to Savannah with "Cinematographer." Showing the film at the festival is like showing it at home.

A graduate of Woodruff High School in Woodruff, South Carolina, Demi Waldron currently resides in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where she works as a freelance cinematographer. She recently shot the music video "Rude Boy" for electro-pop band Salt Cathedral, directed by fellow alumna Susan O'Brien (B.F.A., film and television, 2014). See Demi's work at www.demiwaldron.com.

Above: Waldron (right) and “Cinematographer” executive producer and director of photography Claudia Burgi.

"Cinematographer" screens at SCAD Savannah Film Festival during "Student Shorts Block B – Heavy Hitters" at Lucas Theatre for the Arts: Tues. Oct. 30, noon; Sat. Nov. 3, 10:30 a.m.

For ticket information visit the festival website.

Come celebrate this year's SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the university's 21st annual acclamation of cinematic excellence, Oct. 27–Nov. 3, 2018. A key stop on the Oscar festival circuit, the festival will screen 164 total films, including 33 narrative films, 16 documentary films and 115 shorts, more than any previous year. SCAD will welcome more than 55,000 expected attendees from around the world, including developing talent, students, and the industry luminaries who make the big screen shine.

The largest university-run film festival in the country will honor professional and emerging filmmakers during its eight-day film schedule of events. The festival kicks off Saturday, Oct. 27 with the Opening Night Gala screening “Roma," directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Actors Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira and producer Gabriela Rodriguez will be in attendance. The Centerpiece Gala feature is “If Beale Street Could Talk," written and directed by Barry Jenkins, and starring festival honorees Stephan James and KiKi Layne, all of whom will be in attendance.  The festival concludes Saturday, Nov. 3 with the Closing Gala screening “Green Book," directed by Peter Farrelly, and starring Viggo Mortensen and 2016 festival honoree Mahershala Ali.

The 2018 schedule includes Gala, Docs to Watch, Signature and Professional Competition screenings, along with Global Shorts, and the returning “Wonder Women" forum, highlighting female directors, producers, and below-the-line talent. New programming this year includes Animation Corner: Art in Motion.

SCAD's annual tribute to excellence in film has screened over 110 Oscar-nominated films, and has honored over 80 legendary actors, directors, producers, writers, and filmmakers. 

“SCAD's renowned master's and bachelor's degree programs are essential to the continued growth, sophistication, and evolution of entertainment professions in Georgia and around the world," says SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. “SCAD is the preeminent source of knowledge in film, production design, costume, animation, motion media, performing arts, screenwriting, sound, and every other aspect of entertainment. It is our pleasure to celebrate moving pictures with our better-than-ever 21st SCAD Savannah Film Festival."

More than 10,000 SCAD alumni have graduated from the schools of digital media and entertainment arts, and nearly 5,000 students are currently enrolled in majors that cover fields of animation, entertainment, motion pictures, media production, writing, editing, broadcast media and performing arts.

Celebrating its 21st year, the festival and the competition provide SCAD students with opportunities as unique as the selected films. This year, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival received a record-breaking 2,300 submissions for the competition film 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.

Tickets and passes are available for purchase online at savannahboxoffice.com, by telephone at 912.525.5050, or in person at the Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St., Savannah. Visit filmfest.scad.edu for a complete list of films and screening locations.

"My goal as department chair is to promote the essence of professional practice and business acumen," says Joaquin Roesch, SCAD chair of architecture and urban design. "I want our students to know the business of architecture."

Roesch, a native of Guatemala City, Guatemala, brings to SCAD a wealth of international experience, including work at Phoenix, Arizona firm Will Bruder + Partners, the Florida-based Oppenheim Architecture + Design, and most recently in London at the world-renowned Foster + Partners, where he collaborated across a vast cultural context on global projects as both architect and project manager. He is a full member of the American Institute of Architects and the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Roesch's tenure as SCAD chair has coincided with significant student accolades. In April of this year, four SCAD architecture students traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico to attend American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) South Quad Conference: Ashley Joos, Alexia Lund, Markus Russell and Kennard Taylor penned an article about their experience, which appears as a multi-page feature in "Citizen Architect: A Publication of AIA Georgia" 2018 Resource Guide. That same month, SCAD students swept all six student categories in the 2018 AIA Georgia Design and Honor Awards. Roesch continues to build upon these successes.

Joaquin Roesch:

I started at SCAD the second week of October, 2017. When asked why I wanted to teach, I said: "I wish somebody had told me what I know now back when I was a student." It's that simple. I love the profession of architecture and I believe there are things that we can do to improve the profession. Among them is teaching our students project management and how to talk to clients. As chair of the department, I work with my fellow faculty to optimize our students' academic experience.

This fall, our architecture program has expanded to SCAD Atlanta. We have ten second-year graduate students taking an architectural studio class, Graduate Architecture Studio IV: Interdisciplinary Focus (ARCH 747), with professor Hsu-Jen Huang. Professor Huang has set up visits to prominent architecture firms in Atlanta so that students can gain first hand exposure at the professional level.

Professor Huang also leads our Hong Kong immersion program in architecture, which takes place winter break, before the start of winter quarter. Both undergraduate and graduate students travel to SCAD Hong Kong and visit professional architecture firms in Hong Kong. Last year that included a visit to the Hong Kong office of my former employer, Foster + Partners. They toured the firm, met with a partner, and gained professional insights beyond the classroom.

I'm currently teaching a second-year graduate studio class here in Savannah, emphasizing business principles including financial forecasting and analysis. Our graduate students take that architecture studio along with a focused elective, and develop a project around that focused elective. The elective my students are taking is Finance and Accounting for Creative Industries (SDES 507).

I relate what I've learned in 15 years of professional practice with my students. I share stories, like the instance when my firm was two weeks from a project deadline and the client said, "I want to change the shape of the building"—and how we responded. In academia we talk about context in a perfect system. Actual practice is imperfect. You can't control every variable. But you can apply the mechanics of academia to professional practice, and vice versa. Counterpoint is crucial.

Learn more about SCAD architecture here.

Read about the 2018 AIA Design in Georgia award-winning SCAD students here.

At the age of 4, Jessica Rubinstein was shopping for her own clothes because her mother claimed she was just too picky. Rubinstein (B.F.A., fashion, 2018) says this was when her family knew she was destined for a career in fashion.

Now, in 2018, Rubinstein is hustling through her whirlwind journey to the Supima Design Competition.

The Supima Design Competition is an annual event where finalists from multiple top design schools in the U.S. create runway collections from five types of cotton provided by Supima. The finalists will have their designs featured at New York Fashion Week, Sept. 6-Sept. 14, 2018. The winner will be announced on September 6. One look from each finalist's collection will also be shown during Paris Fashion Week, Sept. 25-Oct. 3.  

Jessica discovered the Supima Design competition her freshman year, when she saw the collection of SCAD alumna and 2015 1st place winner Kate McKenna-Schliep (B.F.A., fashion, 2015). From that moment, Rubinstein was determined to represent SCAD at the Supima Design Competition her own senior year.

"I decided I really wanted to apply for this competition because I love evening wear," said Rubinstein.

The skills Rubinstein acquired at SCAD allowed her to reach her Supima goal. Jessica claims that before SCAD she didn't even know how to sew.

"SCAD was my first everything," said Rubinstein with a laugh.

These SCAD firsts culminated her senior year, which she says were filled with long nights spent perfecting her senior collection. Over winter break, Rubinstein also interned with Project Runway finalist Merline Labissiere (B.F.A., fashion, 2011). On top of all this, Jessica had to submit her application for SCAD to choose their Supima finalist.

Two weeks before the end of senior year Rubinstein was announced as the Supima finalist for SCAD; the Monday after graduation she was at Eckberg Hall bright and early getting started on what would become the 21.21 collection.

The inspiration for Rubinstein's line 21.21 sprouted from her close relationship with her twin brother Jonathan Rubinstein (B.F.A., accessory design) and their desire to officially collaborate on a project. Jonathan, a senior, has been an integral part in the 21.21 process, helping create the acrylics for Jessica's evening wear pieces, as well as additional accessories.

The name 21.21 is laden with meanings that bring Jessica's interests and relationship with her brother to light. Jessica wanted to represent connection, especially between her and Jonathan. They were born on the 21st of November and by using the number twice Jessica wanted to represent the unique relationship between twins.

The name 21.21 also represents a major facet of Jessica's collection: technology.

"We think that technology is going to be a big part of the world. It already is," said Rubinstein.

Jessica and Jonathan initially played around with featuring technology in the pieces via electricity. Ultimately, they decided the garments would be created using the cutting-edge technology SCAD has to offer at the lab in Fahm Hall where Jonathan works, such as 3D printers and laser cutters.

"The main idea was creating a garment through technology," said Rubinstein. "That's how we got the idea of acrylics and laser cutting and scanning."

Rubinstein's collection 21.21 features white evening wear pieces made of Supima cotton, covered in blue, angular acrylics. Jessica and Jonathan have already diligently swaddled the pieces in bubble wrap to transport them to New York for Fashion Week. As arranged by Supima, Rubinstein will also be interviewed by 15 different major designers and labels.

Jessica praises SCAD for allowing her to achieve her goal of competing in Supima.

"I really encourage SCAD students who want to reach for Supima to do it," Rubinstein said. "It's a great opportunity."

The winner of the Supima Design Competition 2018 will be announced on Sept. 6 at NYFW.

Tune into the live stream at 4 p.m., Thurs. Sept. 6, here.