Upcoming major films as well as competition titles were awarded at the 2023 SCAD Savannah Film Festival.

Amazon MGM Studios’ Saltburn and American Fiction, directed by Emerald Fennell and Cord Jefferson respectively, were honored, with Saltburn taking the top prize for Audience Award and American Fiction being the runner-up.

During the festival, Fennell received the Spotlight Director Award and Jefferson was honored with the Breakthrough Director Award.

Check out the full list of competition winners below:


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
  • Best Shorts Spotlight: Horrors in Plain Sight – Mira, directed byEva Louise Hall
  • Shorts Spotlight Jury Award: Excellence in Craftsmanship – Lovebugs, directed by Teddy Alvarez-Nissen

SAVFF LGBTQIA+ Short Film Competition Presented by Amazon MGM Studios

  • Best LGBTQIA+ Short – 100% USDA Certified Organic Homemade Tofu, directed by Gbenga Komolafe
  • Audience Award – Fanatic, directed by Taran Killam.

The professional jury members included Seth Fradkoff (publicity principal, Amazon MGM Studios), Migizi Pensoneau (writer and producer), Jeanie Pyun (deputy editorial director, The Hollywood Reporter) and Rishi Rajani (CEO, Hillman Grad).

The SAVFF LGBTQIA+ Short Film Competition Presented by Amazon MGM Studios jury members included Adam Keen (co-head of global film PR at Amazon MGM Studios), Anthony Allen Ramos (vice president of communications and talent at GLAAD), Daniel Reynolds (editor in chief at Out Magazine), Jazz Tangcay (senior artisans editor at Variety) and Abbey White (news reporter at The Hollywood Reporter).

SCAD Savannah Film Festival