Oct. 26-Nov. 2, 2024

Submit your film

The SCAD Savannah Film Festival's competition series features the very best in independent filmmaking. Showcasing cinematic creativity that ranges from compelling feature-length narrative and documentary films to innovative international shorts, the festival's continuous pursuit of spotlighting excellence in filmmaking results in a diverse and enriching experience each year.

Submit your film

The SCAD Savannah Film Festival receives more than 2,000 film submissions annually for competition series. To submit a film for consideration or to learn more, visit FilmFreeway.

Submissions for the 2024 festival are now open.

To submit your film for consideration for the 2024 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, visit 

2024 dates and deadlines

Submission period opens: Dec. 1, 2023
Early bird deadline: April 30, 2024
Regular deadline: June 1, 2024
Late deadline: June 15, 2024
Extended deadline: June 30, 2024
Notification date: Sept. 15, 2024
Festival: Oct. 26–Nov. 2, 2024

Competition categories

Animated Shorts

With the ability to delight and excite, these animated short films represent the diversity of the process — from hand-drawn figures to stop-motion and digital rendering — and showcase unique storytelling at its finest.

Global Shorts Forum

This collection of more than 30 powerful short films from a variety of international perspectives tackles pressing challenges faced by our global community, including BIPOC topics, homelessness, health, and women's issues.

LGBTQ+ Shorts presented by Amazon Studios

Recognizing the need for more inclusive storytelling, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival and Amazon Studios have partnered to create a dedicated short film competition that offers a platform for emerging queer filmmakers to share their stories and gain mentorship and exposure.

Narrative Features

From side-splitting comedies to heart-wrenching dramas, narrative feature films selected represent diversity in storytelling, excellence in acting and directing, and exemplary cinematography and editing.

Shorts Spotlight

These short films transcend the traditional modes of filmmaking with stories that make us laugh, consider the challenges many people face, and change the way we think about the world around us.

Documentary Features

Beyond simple subject matter, documentaries present compelling stories that illuminate and educate audiences in a thought-provoking and timely manner.

Professional Shorts

Running the gamut of topics and styles, these short films are selected based on their individual merits in storytelling and execution.

Student Shorts

In this collection, student short films represent emerging visions from a broad range of styles, including live action, narrative, documentary, and animation.

"There are festivals that are a business and there are festivals that genuinely care about the films, the filmmakers and nurturing new and up-and-coming talent. SCAD is certainly the latter."

— Chris Overton, Academy Award-winning filmmaker, The Silent Child

2023 award winners

Winning films from the 2023 SCAD Savannah Film Festival explored a wide range of themes and viewpoints.

Audience awards

  • Audience Award Winner — Saltburn, directed by Emerald Fennell
  • Audience Award Runner-Up — American Fiction, directed by Cord Jefferson

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*
  • Documentary Shorts Jury Award — The Local Hero Award: Lessons of Hope — God's Love Split, directed by Paloma Holub*
  • Student Animated Shorts Jury Award — Excellence in 2D Animation: The Sun Is Bad, directed by Rachel Mow*
  • Student Narrative Shorts Jury Award — Excellence in Directing and Acting: Blue Hour, directed by J.D. Shields

SAVFF LGBTQIA+ Short Film Competition presented by Amazon MGM Studios

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 by Eva Louise Hall
  • Shorts Spotlight Jury Award: Excellence in Craftsmanship — Lovebugs, directed by Teddy Alvarez-Nissen

*SCAD student or alum

Rules

To see the rules and terms for submission, visit filmfreeway.com.

Awards and prizes

The SCAD Savannah Film Festival honors the top films in competition categories and will award additional recognitions at the discretion of festival jurors.

Judging

Films chosen for competition at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival are judged by a select panel of jurors who are journalists, filmmakers, producers, and executives with industry experience and have a keen eye for the best in cinema. Awards are announced at the annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival awards brunch.