Netflix’s Frankenstein, written and directed by Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro, won the SCAD Film Festival Audience Award after a sold-out screening attended by fellow Icon Award winner Oscar Isaac.
Searchlight Pictures’ heartwarming drama “The Rental Family” (directed by Hikari and starring Brendan Fraser) was the fest’s runner-up. Fraser also received the Film Achievement Award during the screening event.
In the international audience category, “No Other Choice” from “Neon,” directed by Park Chan-wook, won top honors. Park also received the Writer’s Award in front of a packed audience.
Out of more than 2,500 entries, 102 films were selected for the competition, with 24 titles winning awards across the narrative, documentary, short and special jury categories.
Other major professional competition awards include:
Best Narrative Feature: Directed by Charlie Bird. Libby Ewing Best Documentary Award: Directed by “Yanuni.” Richard Ladkani Best Short Professional Award: “Rise” Director. Jessica J. Rowlands Best Director: Richard Ladkani for “Yanuni” Cinematography: Sam Davis, director of “The Singers” Jury Award Social Impact Award: Director of “All the Empty Rooms.” Joshua Seftel Jury Award for Best Ensemble Performance: “Beyond Silence” starring Henrianne Janssen, Sigrid ten Napel, and Tamer van den Dorp
Selected competition winners received prizes, including $1,000 for Best Cinematography and $500 for Best Professional Short, Narrative Feature, and Documentary Feature, sponsored by Frankfurt Kurnit and Shotdeck. This year’s festival also honored many industry icons and rising stars. The main award winners are:
Spike Lee – Legends of Cinema Award Dakota Fanning – Outstanding Achievement in Television Brendan Fraser – Outstanding Achievement in Film Park Chan-wook – Writer Award Oscar Isaac – Icon Award Rose Byrne, Will Arnett – Luminary Award Sidney Sweeney, Miles Teller, Regina Hall, Amanda Seyfried, Tessa Thompson and others were awarded top honors for outstanding performance and achievement.
In the animation and student short categories, “Murmuration” (directed by Janneke Swinkels and Tim Freisinger), “Dragfox” (directed by Lisa Ott), and “Breastmilk” (directed by Ifeyinwa Arinze) won top prizes and were also awarded cash prizes. Global Shorts Forum featured “The Return” (directed by Jeremy S. Levine), “Hoops, Hopes, and Dreams” (directed by Glenn Kaino), and “Largo” (directed by Salvatore Scarpa and Max Burgoyne).
Variety partnered with the festival to present Hannah Beachler with the Creative Impact Award for Production at the Sinners screening, and to host the fourth annual Pixels and Pencils, highlighting the year’s best animated films and 10 artisans to watch.
