Just released after its Oscar-qualifying festival run, director Pablo Leon and producer Jonathan Coria’s animated short follows a journalist documenting childhood loss, violence against women and the indigenous population, and regaining a sense of hope for the future.
The famed director, filmmakers Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker, and Lavalle Lee discuss the new film, which recently premiered at SAVFF 2025, that takes an unvarnished look at the career highlights and lowlights of the man who bravely left Disney to make films like ‘The Secret of NIMH.’
Alex Woo, Domee Shi, Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, Ugo Bienvenu, Kent Seki and Maïlys Vallade took to the SCAD Savannah Film Festival stage to share their anxiety over standing firm on big creative risks when others voiced considerable doubt, in what was only half-jokingly called a ‘directors therapy session.’
‘Snow Bear,’ ‘Dragfox,’ ‘Playing God,’ and ‘Inside, The Valley Sings’ also take home wins; Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ named the Audience Award Winner at event, which ran October 24-31.
Daniel Kreizberg’s new film, inspired by E.E. Cummings’ poetry and paintings, and with a soundtrack by the late maestro Yakov Kreizberg, will premiere at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival on October 31.
The Latvian director employs beautifully stylized and detailed 3D animation, somewhat photoreal, somewhat painterly, to tell without words his engaging story about a cat waking up in a world invaded by water, where humans have disappeared, who must belay his instincts and learn to get along with a group of animals in order to survive.
The Oscar-winning director of ‘Harvie Krumpet’ discusses his new, award-winning, decidedly not-for-kids stop-motion feature, including the use of sophisticated magnetic puppets, being forced to play board games as a kid, and how personal lubricant makes the best tears because it can go all day and not evaporate.
Director Pablo Leon and producer Jonathan Coria’s animated short follows a journalist documenting three different people who lived through the tragic 1980s in El Salvador, exploring themes of childhood loss, violence against women and the indigenous population, and regaining a sense of hope for the future.
‘Trolls Band Together’s Walt Dohrn, ‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem’s Jeff Rowe, ‘Elemental’s Peter Sohn, ‘Nimona’s Troy Quane and Nick Bruno, and ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’s Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, and Kemp Powers discuss how this year’s wild, unique, and weird animated films are wowing audiences using technology not even available only a few years ago.
Out of 2,100 submissions, a selection of 99 films competed; top honors went to ‘Slow Light,’ named Best Animated Short in the professional competition, and ‘Close Your Eyes,’ named Best Student Animation.
Powerhouse helmers Nick Bruno and Troy Quane; Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson and Kemp Powers; Jeff Rowe; Walt Dohrn; and Peter Sohn to talk at upcoming ‘Top Animators Contenders’ panel at the 26th Annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival; event runs October 21-28.
Amazon will award $10,000 for the Best Overall Film and $5,000 for an Audience Award, plus lead a discussion panel on the future of LGBTQIA+ storytelling; the selected films will premiere at the October 2023 festival.
‘The Mechanical Dancer,’ ‘A Tiny Tale,’ and ‘The Ocean Duck’ take top animated short honors at the 24th annual event; 29 films were awarded from 104 chosen to compete across a host of categories.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller to be honored for Outstanding Achievement in Animation for ‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines;’ hybrid event runs in-person and virtually October 23-30
Presented by the Savannah College of Art and Design, the annual festival, set for October 23-30, will feature film screenings, panel discussions, and workshops.
