If my word isn’t good enough and you need documentable proof that the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the nation’s largest university-run film festival, has become one of the more important stops on the annual awards trail to the Oscars, look no further than the list of Oscar-contending films and talent that will be heading south for the fest’s 21st edition, which is set to run Oct. 27-Nov. 3.
This year’s fest lineup consists of 164 titles. Among 33 narrative features set to screen are Roma (on opening night, with producer Gabriela Rodriguez stars Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira in attendance), If Beale Street Could Talk (on centerpiece night, with director Barry Jenkins and stars KiKi Layne and Stephan James in attendance), Green Book (on closing night), At Eternity’s Gate, Ben Is Back, BlackKklansman, Boy Erased, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Carpernaum, Cold War, Destroyer, The Favourite, The Front Runner, A Quiet Place, A Private War, Vox Lux and Widows.
Fest honorees this year will include The Front Runner‘s Hugh Jackman (Legend of Cinema Award), A Quiet Place‘s Emily Blunt (Icon Award) and John Krasinski (Vanguard Award), The Kindergarten Teacher‘s Maggie Gyllenhaal (Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award for Acting and Producing), On the Basis of Sex‘s Armie Hammer (Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award), The Hate U Give‘s Amandla Stenberg (Rising Star Award), Adrift‘s Shailene Woodley (Spotlight Award) and the aforementioned James and Layne (Discovery Award).
The fest will also offer a TV sidebar, highlighted by the season four premiere of Starz’s hit drama series Outlander; a lineup of shorts; expert panels about topics ranging from art in motion to women in Hollywood; and, of course, the fifth annual ‘Docs to Watch’ sidebar and THR-moderated panel with the directors of 10 of the year’s top docs.
