Written by Jax Warner. Graphic by Ananya Panchal.
There are two types of people at Film Fest: the people with a carefully planned schedule and the people who somehow end up seeing six movies they never planned to watch. No matter which one you are, there is always one thing Film Fest guarantees–an unexpected film will become the thing everyone is talking about.
With the SCAD Savannah Film Festival returning Oct. 24-31, a few things are already confirmed. Helen Mirren will appear with “A Talent for Murder” and receive the Legend of Entertainment Award, while “Dune” production designer Patrice Vermette will receive Variety’s Creative Impact in Production Design Award. The Hollywood Reporter’s “Docs to Watch” will also bring 10 documentary directors together for a panel.
Those are the things we know; everything else is a prediction.
Before the festival begins, SCAD students and alumni are already making their calls about what could become part of the next big conversation. SCAD Film and TV alum Michael Ariano and I both have our eyes on “Fjord,” starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve. Having won the Palme d’Or and four other awards at the Cannes Film Festival, it could easily become one of those movies that shows up in everyone’s conversations between screenings.
“Obsession” is another title that keeps coming up; both Ariano and SCAD Production Design senior Charlie Chappell predict it could make a lasting impression. The film is now the fifth highest grossing horror movie ever, which makes its $750,000 budget and YouTuber director all the more impressive. Chappell is attending Film Fest for his fourth year, while Film and TV Sophomore Chloe Cox and I are returning for our second. Between us, we have all had enough experience to know that the movie you expect to love is not always the movie you end up talking about.
That is where some of our less obvious predictions come in. Ariano and I are both keeping an eye on “Wildwood,” the newest film from Laika, while Chappell and I are watching “Rayy Gunn,” the most recently announced animated feature. Cox has “Paper Tiger,” a crime-thriller packed with big names, on her radar, while I am also curious about films such as “The Gallerist,” an intriguing look at the art world, and “Artificial,” a comedy-drama centered on the CEO of OpenAI.
For SCAD students, the festival is also about looking beyond the names on the poster, Chappell’s interest in “Primetime” comes partly from his production design background. Vermette’s confirmed appearance gives students another opportunity to think about the work happening behind the camera.
Maybe one of our picks becomes the surprising favorite. Maybe someone has a breakout performance. Maybe the movie we know nothing about becomes the one everyone insists you have to see.
Film Fest, prove us wrong.
Camryn is a junior writing major who loves writing stories that foster and inspire meaningful connections among SCAD students and the greater Savannah community. She an avid fan of sumo wrestling, a lover of anything made in the color chartreuse, and in her humble opinion, the sole authority on where to find the best matcha in the city.
