SCAD Savannah Film Festival announces 2023 award winners

VIDEO: SCAD Savannah Film Festival kicks off

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – The 2023 SCAD Savannah Film Festival winners are here.

The festival, now in its 26th year, screened 167 films, including 51 narrative feature films, 16 documentary feature films, 100 short films, and featured eleven world premieres and four U.S. premieres.

Over 2,000 submissions were whittled down to 99 films chosen to compete in different categories, from Narrative Features to Student Shorts.

Take a look at this year’s award winners:

Professional Competition

Best Animated Short – Slow Light, directed by Katarzyna Kijek and Przemysław Adamski

Best Director – Smoking Tigers, directed by So Young Shelly Yo

Best Documentary Feature – Bad Press, directed by Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler

Best Documentary Short: Unique Courage – Mayan Softball Revolution, directed by Michael Zimbalist

Best Documentary Short: Lessons of Hope – Seeds of Change, directed by Maximilian Armstrong

Best Narrative Short – The Old Young Crow, directed by Liam LoPinto

Best Narrative Feature – At The Gates, directed by Augustus Meleo Bernstein

Documentary Shorts: Best of Show – Mayan Softball Revolution, directed by Michael Zimbalist

Student Competition

Best Narrative Student Short – The Fuse, directed by Kevin Haefelin

Best Student Animation – Close Your Eyes, directed by Manon Bérardengo, Audrey Defonte, Léo Depoix, Denis Koessler, Clémentine Laurent, Pierre Guislain, and Chloé Boursier

Best Student Documentary Short – Just Jacob., directed by Halle Losordo *SCAD Student Film

Documentary Shorts Jury Award – The Local Hero Award: Lessons of Hope – God’s Love Split *SCAD Student Film

Student Animated Shorts Jury Award – Excellence in 2D Animation: The Sun Is Bad, directed by Rachel Mow *SCAD Student Film

Student Narrative Shorts Jury Award – Excellence in Directing and Acting: Blue Hour, directed by J.D. Shields

Global Shorts Forum

Global Shorts Forum Best of Show – Our Males and Females, directed by Ahmad Alyaseer

Best Global Short: Beyond Identity – Hafekasi, directed by Annelise Hickey

Best Global Short: Rocking the Cradle of Civilization – In the Garden of Tulips, directed by Julia Elihu

Shorts Spotlight

Shorts Spotlight Best of Show – Mira, directed by Eva Louise Hall

Best Shorts Spotlight: A Kaleidoscope of Connections – Tom & Cinda, directed by Eva Neuwirth

Best Shorts Spotlight: Family Fun – Morning Joy, directed by John Henry Hinkel