The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) proudly announces its first list of honorees for the 2024 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, scheduled to take place from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2. The largest university-run film festival in the nation, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival will celebrate a lineup of distinguished contributors to some of the most anticipated and critically acclaimed films of the year. The opening night gala presentation of Blitz Saturday, Oct. 26, will kick off the 2024 edition of the festival, with director Steve McQueen in attendance to receive the Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award. Honorees attending the festival are expected to participate in an awards presentation, moderated conversations, and master classes with SCAD acting and film and television students. This year's honorees include:

• Annette Bening will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at a screening of her 1990 film The Grifters.

• Jerry Bruckheimer will receive the Legend of Entertainment Award at an In Conversation event discussing his career.

• Colman Domingo will receive the Spotlight Award at a screening of Sing Sing.

• Karla Sofía Gascón will receive the Distinguished Performance Award at a screening of Emilia Pérez.

• Jharrel Jerome will receive the Lumiere Award at a screening of Unstoppable.

• Richard Linklater will receive the Lifetime Achievement in Screenwriting Award at a screening of Hit Man.

• Mikey Madison will receive the Breakthrough Award at a screening of Anora.

• Isabela Merced will receive the Rising Star Award at a screening of Alien: Romulus.

• Lupita Nyong’o will receive the Virtuoso Award at a screening of The Wild Robot.

• Daisy Ridley will receive the Lumiere Award in recognition of her current projects Magpie and Young Woman and the Sea.

• Sebastian Stan will receive the Maverick Award at a screening of A Different Man.

“This year's honorees epitomize the extraordinary breadth of talent within the world of cinema, from seasoned veterans to Hollywood’s rising stars,” said Christina Routhier, Executive Director of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. “I am thrilled for our students and attendees to witness the incredible star power coming to Savannah.”

Additional information about this year’s honorees: 

Annette Bening is a celebrated actor across the stage and screen. She most recently starred in the Peacock limited series Apples Never Fall;, the film Nyad, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, which screened at last year’s film festival, and the film Death on the Nile, directed by Kenneth Branagh. She will soon be seen in The Bride!, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s upcoming Frankenstein film, starring opposite Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz, and Peter Sarsgaard. Bening’s past film credits include Poolman, The Report, 20th Century Women, The Kids Are Alright, American Beauty, The American President, The Grifters, and Bugsy. On stage, Bening was last seen in Jack O’Brien’s Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s classic All My Sons alongside Tracy Letts, for which she earned a Tony Award nomination. She also received a Tony Award nomination and won the Clarence Derwent Award for Outstanding Debut Performance of the Season for her role in Coastal Disturbances. 

Jerry Bruckheimer is the most successful film and television producer of all time. The Academy Award-nominated producer’s film credits include the Pirates of the Caribbean, Top Gun, National Treasure, Bad Boys, and Beverly Hills Cop franchises, as well as such hits as Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor, Remember the Titans, Enemy of the State, Armageddon, Con Air, The Rock, Crimson Tide, and Flashdance. The highly anticipated blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, which reunited him with star Tom Cruise 37 years after the original film’s release, quickly became his most successful movie ever, with a global box office of nearly $1.5 billion. The film received an incredible six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and won the Oscar for Best Sound. In 2024, Bruckheimer had a slate of four new releases, including The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Young Woman and the Sea, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. On TV, Jerry Bruckheimer Television (JBTV) has produced some of TV’s most successful series of the past 25 years, starting with CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its four hugely successful spinoffs: CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, CSI: Cyber, and CSI: Vegas. He also worked on Lucifer, Fire Country, Without a Trace, Hightown, Cold Case, and the ten-time Emmy Award-winning The Amazing Race. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Bruckheimer’s films have collectively grossed nearly $15 billion at the global box office. He has produced over 2,000 hours of television. His projects have been honored with 49 Academy Award nominations, seven Oscar wins, nine Grammy Award nominations, five Grammy wins, 24 Golden Globe Award nominations, four Golden Globe wins, 145 Emmy Award nominations, 23 Emmy wins, 37 People’s Choice Award nominations, 16 People’s Choice wins, and numerous MTV Awards. Bruckheimer is currently in production on the film F1 for Apple TV+ and Warner Bros., set in the high-octane world of Formula 1 racing, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski. 

Colman Domingo executive produced and stars in Greg Kwedar’s film Sing Sing, which was released in July 2024 by A24. In 2023, Domingo starred as Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin in Netflix and Higher Ground’s film Rustin for which he received an Academy Award Nomination, Golden Globes, BAFTA , SAG nomination, Critic’s Choice Nomination as well as many regional nominations. He also starred asMister in the Warner Bros production of The Color Purple, which received a 2024 SAG Ensemble nomination. This November, Domingo will be seen as the lead in the limited series The Madness created by Clement Virgo for Netflix. He also recently wrapped production onMichael playing Joe Jackson, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Domingo is currently in production on NETFLIX’s series The Four Seasons alongside Tina Fey and Steve Carrell.  Domingo and his husband Raul Domingo have produced a myriad of work under their Edith Productions banner, including It’s What Inside out on Netflix on October 4  His other credits include his Emmy Award-winning role as Ali in HBO’s Euphoria, as well as his roles in  Zola, If Beale Street Could Talk, Selma, Candyman, Fear The Walking Dead, and many more. 

Karla Sofía Gascón is a figure who has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment. She began her acting career in Spain, but it was her move to Mexico that cemented her status as an international star in such series and films as El Señor de los Cielos and Nosotros los Nobles. It is her role in the Netflix film Emilia Pérez that has redefined her career. Under the direction of the renowned Jacques Audiard, Karla plays Emilia Perez, a fearsome cartel leader who enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an underappreciated lawyer to help fake her death so that Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self. Her performance in this film has been described as “magnetic” and “fascinating”. Beyond her achievements in acting, Karla has become a powerful voice for the LGBTQ+ community. Her transition story has inspired countless people to live their lives with authenticity and pride. 

Jharrel Jerome is one of Hollywood's most celebrated rising stars, known for his breakout role in the Academy Award-winning filmMoonlight and his Emmy Award-winning performance in Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us. He recently starred in Boots Riley's I’m a Virgo and Steven Soderbergh's Full Circle, earning critical acclaim and multiple award nominations. Jerome will next be seen portraying wrestler Anthony Robles in the Amazon MGM Studios biopic Unstoppable, which premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. In addition to his onscreen success, Jerome is a voice actor in the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse franchise and a versatile rapper and hip-hop artist. Raised in the Bronx and a graduate of LaGuardia Arts High School, Jerome currently spends his time between New York City and Los Angeles.

Richard Linklater’s feature films include Slacker, Dazed and Confused, theBefore trilogy, Boyhood, Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood,and Hit Man. He serves as the artistic director of the Austin Film Society, one of the country’s largest film organizations, which operates a repertory theater, manages a film studio, and has given out more than $2.2 million in grants to Texas filmmakers.

Mikey Madison assumed the titular role in Sean Baker's highly anticipated film Anora, which received the Palme d’Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Her other credits include the Apple TV+ limited series The Lady in the Lake, Scream, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and FX's critically acclaimed series Better Things. Her compelling portrayal added depth and nuance to the acclaimed show, earning her praise for her contributions to the ensemble cast.

Isabela Merced is a highly regarded actress, singer, dancer, and songwriter. She recently appeared in Alien: Romulus, from producer, director, and writer Fede Álvarez. Her other credits include Turtles All the Way Down, Madame Web, Rosaline, Father of the Bride, Sweet Girl, Spirit Untamed, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Let It Snow, Instant Family, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and Transformers: The Last Knight. Her next project is the second season of HBO’s critically acclaimed drama series, The Last of Us, and she is also set to star as Hawkgirl in Warner Bros. and DC’s Superman franchise. 

Steve McQueen is an Academy Award winner and British Film Institute Fellow. His critically acclaimed first feature Hunger, starring Michael Fassbender, won the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His subsequent feature Shame also featured Fassbender, winning the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for Best Actor. McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave dominated awards season, winning the Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and AAFCA Awards for Best Picture, while McQueen received DGA, Academy, BAFTA and Golden Globe directing nods. His fourth feature Widows, starring Viola Davis, was one of the best reviewed films of that year. In 2020, McQueen’s anthology series Small Axe was awarded Best Picture by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and was recipient of fifteen BAFTA Television nominations, while McQueen received the Storyteller Award for series at the 16th Annual Final Draft Awards. McQueen’s most recent work is the 2023 documentary feature Occupied City. His past documentary works include the BAFTA-winning three-part series Uprising, which McQueen co-directed and produced for the BBC. He also served as a co-producer on Three Minutes: A Lengthening, directed and co-written by Bianca Stigter.

Lupita Nyong’o is an Oscar winning Kenyan actress, producer, and New York Times bestselling author for her children's book, Sulwe. She made her feature debut in Steve McQueen’s Academy Award winning film 12 Years a Slave. For her portrayal as “Patsey,” Nyong’o received the Academy Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Critics’ Choice Award, the Independent Spirit Award, and the NAACP Image Award. She since has made her mark on the industry as “Nakia” in Marvel’s Black Panther franchise as well as in Jordan Peele’s critically acclaimed horror film, Us. Nyong’o appeared as both “Adelaide” and “Red,” which garnered her a Screen Actors Guild nomination, the NY Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, and an NAACP Image Award. Nyong’o served as President of the International Jury at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. In April 2024 she was honored with this year’s CinemaCon Star of the Year Award. Most recently, she starred in Paramount’s continuation of the A Quiet Place universe with A Quiet Place: Day One, written and directed by Michael Sarnoski. The film released on June 28 to critical acclaim and major box office success, making the film the most successful debut in the blockbuster franchise. On September 27 she will hit the big screen again as robot “ROZ” in DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed feature film The Wild Robot. On September 19, Nyong’o globally launched her intimate and joyous storytelling debut podcast, “Mind Your Own,” which navigates what it means to belong, from the African perspective.

Daisy Ridley’s projects this year include the upcoming Magpie, Young Woman and the Sea, and Sometimes I Think About Dying, in which she stars and serves as a producer on all three, as well We Bury the Dead. She is best known for her breakthrough role as Rey in the Skywalker Saga films Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. She recently starred in. Her other credits include The Marsh King’s Daughter, Chaos Walking, Ophelia, and Murder on the Orient Express. She has also lent her voice to The Inventor, Ratatouille, Islanders, Peter Rabbit, Baba Yaga, The Dawn of the Art, Only Yesterday, and The Eagle Huntress. Additionally, Ridley is set to return to the Star Wars franchise as Rey in one of the Star Wars: New Jedi Order films. She recently completed filming on the Martin Campbell-directed, London-set action-thriller Cleaner alongside Clive Owen.

Sebastian Stan earned the Silver Bear Award for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin Film Festival for A24’s A Different Man, where he plays Edward, an actor with neurofibromatosis undergoing a radical transformation. Stan also executive produced the film, which is currently in theaters. His next film is The Apprentice, which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, where he portrays Donald Trump alongside Jeremy Strong’s Roy Cohn. Stan has received multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice nominations, notably for his portrayal of Tommy Lee in Hulu's Pam and Tommy. His other credits include Endings, Beginnings, Destroyer, I, Tonya, Fresh, Dumb Money, Sharper, The 355,Monday, Logan Lucky, The Martian, Ricki and the Flash, and Black Swan. He recently wrapped production on Marvel’s Thunderbolts, reprising his role as Bucky Barnes, which he has played in seven Avengers franchise films including Avengers: Endgame, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and three installations of Marvel’s Captain America: Captain America: Civil War, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: The First Avenger.  

Variety previously announced Colleen Atwood will receive the Creative Impact Award for Costume Design for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Additional honorees and the festival’s lineup are to be announced.

Presented by the Savannah College of Art and Design, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival is filled with cinematic creativity from award-winning professionals and emerging student filmmakers. Each year, more than 63,000 people attend the eight-day festival. A distinguished stop on the road to the Academy Awards, the annual festival kicks off with a gala opening night screening, while the rest of the week features scheduled competition films, premiere screenings, workshops, lectures, and panels. Other programming highlights at the festival include The Hollywood Reporter’s Docs to Watch, Amazon MGM Studios’ LGBTQIA+ Shorts Competition and the Behind Her Lens series, which includes panels with influential female directors, producers, and artisans, who will discuss the importance of staying true to their vision and empowering the industry forward with profound stories. These events take place at SCAD’s historic theaters and industry-leading studio spaces throughout the historic city of Savannah.

Festival passes for 2024 are available now. Individual event tickets will go on sale Friday, Oct. 4, online at filmfest.scad.edu, by phone at 912.525.5050, or in person at the SCAD Box Office (scadboxoffice.com) at 216 E. Broughton St. in Savannah.