SCAD Savannah Film Festival Announces 2022 Award Winners – Film News in Brief

Jazz Tangcay and Michaela Zee
·5 min read

The Savannah College of Art and Design has announced the winners of the 25th annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival, which began Oct. 22 and ends Oct. 29. This year’s festival screened 143 films, including 53 narrative feature films, 20 documentary feature films and 70 shorts, with eight world premieres and six U.S. premieres.

Three SCAD alums earned awards in the festival’s short film categories: Sourab Reddy for “Maayanagri (A City of Dreams),” Janantik Shukla for “Mulsotan — The Rooted” and Joshua Harding for “Chasin’ Butterflies.” The 2022 film fest’s jury members included director-writer Alison Anders, Crime Story Media founder Kary Antholis, Vanity Fair writer David Canfield, The Hollywood Reporter writer Mia Galuppo and Mad Solar president Karina Manashil.

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Below is the complete winners list of the 2022 SCAD Savannah Film Festival:

Professional Competition

Best Animated Short

“New Moon,” directed by Jeremie Balais, Jeff LeBars and Raul Domingo

Best Documentary Feature

“Sam Now,” directed by Reed Harkness

Best Documentary Short

“The Flagmakers,” directed by Cynthia Wade and Sharon Liese

Best Professional Short

“North Star,” directed by P.J. Palmer

Best Narrative Feature

“Pinball – The Man Who Saved the Game,” directed by Austin Bragg and Meredith Bragg

Best Director

Reed Harkness, “Sam Now”

Best Editing

“Butterfly in the Sky,” edited by Bradford Thomason

Jury Award for Animation Excellence

“Black Slide,” directed by Uri Lotan

Narrative Features: Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast

“The Big Bend,” directed by Brett Wagner

Documentary Features: Jury Award for Excellence in Inspirational Storytelling

“Afghan Dreamers,” directed by David Greenwald

Documentary Features: Jury Award for Excellence in Cinematography

“Crows are White,” directed by Ahsen Nadeem

Professional Shorts: Jury Award for Comedic Excellence

“Miss Patti,” directed by Kate Hamilton and Grasie Mercedes

Documentary Shorts: Jury Award for Powerful Storytelling

“Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison,” directed by Cinque Northern

Student Competition

Best Student Short

“This Wild Abyss,” directed by Thomas Mendolia

Best Student Animation

“The Soloists,” directed by Mehrnaz Abdollahinia, Feben Elias Woldehawariat, Razahk Issaka, Celeste Jamneck and Yi Liu

Student Shorts Jury Award for Artistic Excellence

“Maayanagri (A City of Dreams),” directed by Sourab Reddy

Global Shorts Forum

Global Shorts: Best of Show

“Wax and Wane,” directed by Beidi Wang

Best Global Short: Of The Land

“Mulsotan — The Rooted,” directed by Janantik Shukla

Best Global Short: XX

“Hysterical,” directed by April Moreau

Global Shorts: Jury Award for Artistic Excellence

“Murmurs of the Jungle,” directed by Sohil Vaidya

Global Shorts: Jury Award for Unique Storytelling

“Feeling the Apocalypse,” directed by Chen Sing Yap

Shorts Spotlight

Shorts Spotlight: Best of Show

“Burros,” directed by Jefferson Stein

Shorts Spotlight Best Short: Amusing Perspectives

“Chasin’ Butterflies,” directed by Joshua Harding, Adam Hobbs and Matt Klug.

Shorts Spotlight Best Short: Person First

“Murder Tongue,” directed by Ali Sohail Jaura

Director Gina Prince-Bythewood to be Honored by American Cinema Editors with Filmmaker of the Year Award 

American Cinema Editors announced that the organization will honor director Gina Prince-Bythewood with the esteemed ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award, recognizing an artist who exemplifies distinguished achievement in the art and business of film.

In addition, ACE will bestow career achievement honors to film editors Don Zimmerman, ACE and Lynne Willingham, ACE for their outstanding career contributions to film editing. The honors will be presented at the 73rd annual ACE Eddie Awards on March 5, 2023 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

“A supremely versatile trailblazer from day one of her career, Gina Prince-Bythewood has consistently entertained us with intimate films and global blockbusters that explore the human experience through formidable female characters,” said ACE president Kevin Tent, ACE. “A champion of diverse, character-driven narratives, her latest film — ‘The Woman King’ — is the crown jewel of a career spent pushing boundaries and telling stories that touch our hearts and minds. She is a proud supporter of the editing community and we’re so thrilled to honor her with the Golden Eddie.”

Past recipients of the Golden Eddie include Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, Kathleen Kennedy, Christopher Nolan, Lauren Shuler Donner, Guillermo del Toro, Vince Gilligan, J.J. Abrams, Nancy Meyers, Martin Scorsese, Norman Jewison, Robert Zemeckis, George Lucas and the Sundance Institute, among others.

CAPE and Janet Yang Production Announce Second Year of Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge

The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Janet Yang Production have announced the second year of the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge for AAPI Women and Non-Binary Filmmakers. The Challenge kicks off with a Nov. 1 premiere, sponsored by AMC Theatres, featuring the short films of year one’s winning filmmakers: “Hearsay” by Banban Cheng, “Take Me Home” by Liz Sargent, “Happy Rakhi” by Ragini Bhasin” and “Full Service” by Soma Helmi.

The second cohort will receive networking opportunities with Janet Yang, president of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the CAPE network. The production grant for year two of the short film challenge will increase to $25K per filmmaker.

Submissions for the second year of the Julia Gouw Short Film Challenge will open Nov. 14, with more information about the process on CAPE’s website.

Casting Announced for Director Caleb Harris’ Comedy Feature ‘Gothic Slayers’

The cast has been announced for the feature film “Gothic Slayers,” a upcoming comedy from director Caleb Harris in his feature directorial debut and writer Dylan Eshbaugh. The film stars Ben Getz, Eshbaugh, Jayson Bernard, Fiona Domenica and Samantha Rothermel. In “Gothic Slayers,” two putt-putt employees and best friends must face off against a demonic cult that has not only kidnapped their friend but also threatens to destroy their hometown.

“Gothic Slayers” is currently shooting in Los Angeles, after having filmed in Harve de Grace, Maryland. Getz is producing under his Careful Icarus Productions banner, along with Harris of Junction Lads Productions and Bernard and Roberto Rosario, Jr. of J&R Productions.

Bernard is represented by Sovereign Talent, Landrum LA, and Domenica is represented by STW Talent.

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