Kenneth Branagh, Adrien Brody, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, Mike Mills among star-studded lineup of 2021 SCAD Savannah Film Festival special guests

Clockwise from top left: Kenneth Branagh, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, Adrien Brody, Dylan Penn, Aunjanue Ellis, Simon Rex, Odessa Young, Mike Mills, Harry Gregson-Williams, Sandy Powell, Clifton Collins Jr.

The 2021 SCAD Savannah Film Festival marks not only the 10-year anniversary of Reel Georgia, it also marks a return to form for the premiere fall film festival. After a limited 2020 event that was largely virtual, the red carpet is once again set to take over Broughton Street outside the famed Trustees Theatre.

Oscar winners and nominees are in great supply this year, with Kenneth Branagh, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, Adrien Brody, Sandy Powell, Mike Mills, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller all set to make appearances. Other stars set to appear and receive honors include Aunjanue Ellis, Harry Gregson-Williams, Dylan Penn, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Simon Rex, Odessa Young and Clifton Collins Jr.

#GAfilm Floods January Box Office

Ice Cube and Kevin Hart return to star in the Georgia-lensed "Ride Along 2."

#GAfilm has flooded the January box office. Two Georgia productions, "Dirty Grandpa" and "The Fifth Wave" made their debut this past weekend, opening in the fourth and sixth positions respectively. They join Atlanta-filmed "Ride Along 2,” which dropped to third place behind "The Revenant" and the record-breaking "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" after its #1 debut the weekend prior.

From downtown Atlanta to Tybee Island, filming for these three #GAfilm productions have taken place all throughout our Camera Ready state. Find out their specific filming locations below and stay tuned to the end for a list of upcoming #GAfilm releases!

Savannah-area Moon River Studios Project Scaled Down

The studio name is inspired by the famed "Breakfast at Tiffany's" song by
Savannah musician Johnny Mercer.

Imagine this—Moon River Studios: the country's largest, full-service production complex built in coastal Effingham County, Georgia. Reminiscent of the dominant production companies of Hollywood's Golden Age, the mega-studio will be equipped with state of the art facilities built on a whopping 1,560 acres of land. It is quite a valiant dream, but it may remain just a dream.

Recent reports have revealed that Moon River Studios (parent company FONU2) has failed to meet the mandatory milestones stated in its original agreement with Effingham County's Industrial Development Authority (IDA). This has resulted in a revised agreement for the studio to scale back to Phase One of its master plan.

Sarah Gavron's "Suffragette" Opens Up the 2015 Savannah Film Festival (***)

We chat about how Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep got involved and how she fell in love with Georgia after just a few hours in Savannah.

Each year, the Savannah Film Festival marks the unofficial anniversary of Reel Georgia. While it was launched a few months earlier in 2011, it wasn't until I booked it down to Savannah for two days in October that this website really started to post frequent, original content about Georgia films, Georgia festivals and the global industry from a Georgia perspective.

This year, my dedicated co-editor Lucy Doughty and eloquent contributor Jessica Hinckle join me here and together, there isn't a moment we will miss. Eighteen years in, SAVFF is at a peak artistically and commercially. Stars attending this year include Olivia Wilde, Alexander Skarsgard, Saoirse Ronan, Alfie Allen, Meg Ryan and Elizabeth Olsen. Tons of filmmaking talent is also attending—something the festival has obviously been spotlighting more in recent years, as the SCAD filmmaking programs continue to grow in popularity.

Among this year's attending filmmakers are director Sarah Gavron and producer Alison Owen of opening night film "Suffragette." I sat down with Gavron at the Trustees Theater ahead of the premiere, asking first and foremost what she thought of Georgia.

"I love it," she said. This is not just her first time in Savannah, it's her first time in the state at all. "I wandered around for two hours. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was; it was very visual."

Meg Ryan, Olivia Wilde, Elizabeth Olsen among expected guests at 2015 Savannah Film Festival

Four of the 2015 Savannah Film Festival's special guests clockwise from top left:
Meg Ryan, Elizabeth Olsen, Saoirse Ronan, Olivia Wilde.

As the Savannah Film Festival gets closer to turning 20-years-old (this year will be the 18th festival), it is pivoting itself as an important stop on the national festival circuit in terms of programming but also as a continually celebrity-friendly festival. Just in the last few years, I've enjoyed attending alongside stars like Diane Lane, Jeremy Irons, John Goodman, Jane Seymour, Alec Baldwin, Matt Bomer, Gena Rowlands, Lily Tomlin and Miles Teller.

This year, honored guests include Meg Ryan, Olivia Wilde and Alfie Allen. Elizabeth Olsen, Saoirse Ronan, Riley Keough and Tab Hunter are also expected to attend.

The Local Lense: #GAfilm Updates 6/15 - Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicki Minaj

Tom Cruise, Michael Keaton, Jennifer Lawrence, Kerry Washington and more! Hosts Beth Keener and Greer Howard bring you the 411 on entertainment news in Georgia. Find out what's filming, who's here and what to watch!

We are thrilled to be featuring The Local Lense here at Reel Georgia! Every week, Beth Keener and Greer Howard host the Entertainment Buzz—giving you the complete #GAfilm rundown of what's filming, what celebrities were spotted and which TV shows were locally-lensed and feature local talent.

This week, catch up on the details of "Mena" with Tom Cruise (filming in Ballground); "Captain America: Civil War" with Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Anthony Mackie (filming in Metro Atlanta); "The Founder" with Michael Keaton (filming in Canton); "The Do Over" with Adam Sandler and David Spade (filming in Savannah); "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" with Jennifer Lawrence (filming reshoots in Dawsonville); "Allegiant: Part 1" with Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort (filming in Rome and Metro Atlanta); and "Barbershop 3" with Ice Cube, Nicki Minaj and Anthony Anderson (filming in Atlanta).

Also, there are TV updates from HBO's "Confirmation" with Kerry Washington, Lifetime's "Devious Maids," AMC's "Halt and Catch Fire" and more! Stay tuned to the end to find out how you can win a free one-hour private coaching session from Atlanta acting studio Drama Inc.

An Instagram Reel of the 2014 Savannah Film Festival

Norman Reedus walked the red carpet at the opening night of the Savannah Film Festival. Photo: Cameron McAllister, ReelGA.com #savff #savannah #normanreedus #twd #thewalkingdead #redcarpet #reelga

A photo posted by Cameron McAllister (@reelga) on Oct 10, 2014 at 12:16pm PDT

In the past, We've posted some photos directly on here from around town for various festivals. But since the @ReelGA Instagram account remains pretty active while we are fest-ing, I'll just share what the 2014 Savannah Film Festival looked like with those of you who may not be following us on the photo app.

We took a lot of pictures of stars on the red carpet, the historic spires and structures of downtown Savannah and of the bright lights of the Trustees and Lucas Theatre marquees. The cream of the crop made it to Instagram. Enjoy! Make sure you are following @ReelGA for more throughout the year (even though not everything is #GAfilm related).

Check out over a dozen photos after the jump!

Gena Rowlands, Matt Bomer, Analeigh Tipton among honorees at 2014 Savannah Film Festival

The 2014 Savannah Film Festival honorees clockwise from top left:
Gena Rowlands, Matt Bomer, Analeigh Tipton, Asa Butterfield

Out of all of Georgia's film festivals—and there are now more than ever—the Savannah Film Festival is the most star-studded. Every year, a bevy of Hollywood's biggest and brightest names come to Georgia's first city to showcase their work and be honored by the now 17-year-old film festival. Last year, Jeremy Irons, Alexander Payne, Natalie Dormer and Abigail Breslin were honorees. Gena Rowlands, Matt Bomer, Analeigh Tipton and Asa Butterfield are this year's special award winners.

Macon Review bundle: "Desires of the Heart" (**½), "Brothers Hypnotic" (****), "A Fragile Trust" (****½)

Val Lauren and Alicia Minshew star in "Desires of the Heart"

"Desires of the Heart"

Shot on location in Savannah and India, this is director James Kicklighter’s first feature length narrative. The story follows Kris Sharma (Val Lauren) as he navigates his identity in family and in love. His encounter with Madeline (Alicia Minshew) challenges what he thought he knew about himself and, ultimately, destiny. The screenplay, which Kicklighter describes as having been 'rewritten every day,' seems like it was; I’d like to think the performances would have been better should the actors been provided a less pliable script. While the photography only ever aids very genuine emotion, the sound editing and film length leave me excited—generously stated—to partake in Kicklighter’s next, new and improved venture.

2.5 out of 5 stars.

Reviews for "Brothers Hypnotic" and "A Fragile Trust" after the jump.

Georgia productions at the Savannah Film Festival: "The Spectacular Now" (****), "Last Vegas" (**), "The Sacrament" (***)

In addition to a host of Georgia-lensed SCAD student work, this year's Savannah Film Festival screened an assortment of Georgia productions. James Ponsoldt's "The Spectacular Now," both set and shot in Athens, already closed out the Atlanta Film Festival earlier this year and went on to a successful theatrical run over the summer, but Savannah hosted a special screening of the film with director Ponsoldt, writer Michael H. Weber and star Miles Teller (a frequent attendee and former Discovery Award recipient) in attendance for a Q&A. Jon Turteltaub's "Last Vegas" served as one of the special gala presentation films and despite not being set anywhere near the Peach State, most of the movie was shot here. Horror film dynamo Ti West filmed his latest, "The Sacrament," in the Savannah area during the duration of last year's film festival, so it only made sense for him to come back to the Hostess City for a special premiere. Plenty of cast and crew members were on hand for the unveiling. In addition to these narrative features, documentary jury contender and Audience Award winner, "Mayan Blue," has Georgia ties as well. The film showcases Mayan ruins beneath Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, but comes from Athens-based Standoff Studios. (A review for "Mayan Blue" will be featured later.)

Savannah Film Festival kicks off with Alexander Payne's "Nebraska" (***½)

SCAD brought quite the party to Broughton Street for the opening night of
the 16th annual Savannah Film Festival.

Celebrating its Sweet Sixteen this year, Georgia's oldest city hosts the second oldest film festival in the state—younger only than the 37-year-old Atlanta Film Festival. Right from the start, the Savannah Film Festival knew what type of event it wanted to be. SCAD's illustrious 8-day event has built and maintained the type of reputation it often takes festivals decades to achieve, offering up a mix of fall prestige fare, strong independent filmmaking and a showcase of student work. Honoring star actors, producers, writers and directors every year raises the level of awareness and excitement around town.  Alexander Payne, Jeremy Irons, Natalie Dormer and Abigail Breslin are this year's honorees. Terence Stamp was originally slated to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award but had to cancel due to filming commitments in Romania.

This year's Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award recipient, Alexander Payne, has already won two Oscars out of six nominations, but earned a special feather in his cap this week when he got to experience his maiden voyage to this beautiful city. "This is my first time in Savannah, but I'll be back," he said almost immediately after taking the stage. Legendary New York press agent Bobby Zarem had been writing Payne for years, trying to get him to attend the festival—as he does many of the celebrities that attend. Zarem is from Savannah originally and retired here after a tremendously successful career. The relationships and connections he forged through decades in the industry are a huge asset to the festival.

Payne brought both his latest film, "Nebraska," and its star, Bruce Dern, with him to the festival this year. Dern received a Lifetime Achievement Award here in 2006, gladly returning this year to present his director and friend with a trophy of his own.

What is your guess for the mystery Savannah Film Festival Director's Choice screening?

An annual tradition here at the Savannah Film Festival is a mid-week mystery screening, the Director's Choice. No announcement is made, no clues given; we have to wait until the projector beams the chosen selection onto the screen at the Trustees Theatre.

Last year, "Hyde Park on Hudson" was the selection. In previous years, the world premiere of "The Muppets," the Savannah-filmed "The Conspirator," "Up in the Air," "Persepolis," "Volver" and "Match Point" all held the distinction. What could this year's film be? Considering the festival's past relationship with Focus Features, my guess is "Dallas Buyers Club," which opens in select cities this Friday. Other rumors making their way around town and around the Internet include "Ender's Game," "Out of the Furnace," "Saving Mr. Banks" and "Thor: The Dark World." Some have suggested Georgia's own "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," but let's face it—that ain't happening three weeks before its highly anticipated release.

What are some of your guesses? Leave a comment! Follow us on Twitter to find out the selection as soon as it hits the screen.

Ben Affleck's "Live By Night" to film in Savannah, Brunswick (Casting call)

Ben Affleck to film his next project in Georgia

Although Ben Affleck's first followups to his Best Picture Oscar-winner "Argo" have been acting projects like "Runner Runner" and the forthcoming films "Gone Girl" and "Batman vs. Superman," he is set to return to his previously acclaimed roles as writer and director. Affleck's next project is a screen adaptation of Dennis Lehane's Prohibition novel, "Live By Night." Affleck's directorial debut—and still his best, in my opinion—"Gone Baby Gone," was also adapted from a novel by Lehane. Affleck will adapt the screenplay, direct, produce and star in the film—obviously a project he feels pretty strongly about. Leonardo DiCaprio is also on board as a producer.

What to see at the 2013 Savannah Film Festival

Now in its 16th year, the Savannah Film Festival is a distinguished, star-studded jewel on Georgia's film festival crown. Over the last several years, the festival has built up a reputation for its varied selection of honorees as well as its thought-provoking programming—displayed through both highly-buzzed prestige projects and smaller independent fare alike.

This is my third SAVFF, and my second time attending for the entire 8-day event. Last year, "Silver Linings Playbook," "Amour," "Flight," "Rust & Bone," "The Sapphires" and "Rise of the Guardians" were some of the fest's big hits. Business as usual, plenty of Oscar buzz exists in this year's lineup as well. From the opening night film, "Nebraska," to the closing night film, "August: Osage County," and to all of the "Philomena"s and "Mandela"s in between—this is your Georgia destination for the fall's most anticipated releases.

So what is worth seeing this year? Just about everything! We've highlighted the special gala presentations, the Georgia films, the competition lineup and a few other screenings worth checking out. The festival starts Saturday, October 26th and runs through Saturday, November 2nd, so get your tickets now!

Savannah doubles as 1970s New York in new "CBGB" trailer

Alan Rickman and company star in "CBGB"

One of the more non-traditional Georgia productions of the last year is writer-director-producer Randall Miller's "CBGB." Based on the (in)famous club of the same name (short for Country, BlueGrass, and Blues), the film follows Alan Rickman as club-founder Hilly Kristal from CBGB's early days in 1973 through its rise as the central venue in the burgeoning punk movement. The film was shot in Savannah, with some necessary exteriors shot in New York City—where the club was located in The Bowery. A sprawling cast of up-and-comers play various real life figures of the punk scene, including Malin Akerman as Debbie Harry, Rupert Grint as Cheetah Chrome, Taylor Hawkins as Iggy Pop, Joel David Moore as Joey Ramone and Mickey Sumner as Patti Smith.

"CBGB" hits theaters on October 11th, but perhaps equally as important—the soundtrack is available October 8th. Check out the trailer after the jump.

Triple Horse to build movie studio in Covington

Triple Horse Studios has announced plans to build a $100 million movie studio in Covington. The county seat of Newton County—Covington is no stranger to film and television production. Part of the Metropolitan Atlanta statistical area, the studio will be about 30 miles east-southeast of Atlanta with easy access to Interstate 20.

Phase 1 will cost $38 million and includes five sound stages as well as mill, work and office space. The completed project will be situated on 160 acres and feature multiple sound stages, exterior filming areas, a studio backlot, post-production facilities and more. Triple Horse expects to add about three dozen full-time jobs, with more jobs as more phases are completed.

No word yet on when construction will commence, but the studio promises more details are forthcoming. Triple Horse is the fourth production company to announce big plans for Georgia in the past two months. Tyler Perry Studios have released plans for the expansion of their Atlanta facilities as well as both Medient and Pinewood announcing ambitious plans for new studios in Effingham County and Fayette County, respectively.

Two Georgia film festivals featured in MovieMaker Top 50

For nearly a decade, MovieMaker Magazine has been releasing an annual list of the top film festivals worth the prize of your film's entry fee. In the past, the Rome International Film Festival has made the cut—dramatically upping the reputation of the quiet college town's September event. Georgia's two biggest destination film festivals—the Atlanta Film Festival and the Savannah Film Festival—both made the cut this year!

These two Georgia gems are in good company, joining festivals like Cinequest, Edinburgh, Nashville, New Orleans and Soho. MovieMaker draws attention to Atlanta's status as an Academy Award qualifying festival and to Savannah's 40,000+ attendance and prizes totaling more than $100,000. We would like to add that spending a week or more in either of these cities is worth more than the price of submitting your film!

Congratulations to all 50 festivals! Check out the full list.

Medient & Pinewood to build movie studios in Metro Savannah, Atlanta

Medient Studios Inc. has announced plans for a 1,500 acre movie studio near Savannah. The company is billing the project as the largest movie production facility in America, with various buildings and venues comprising the project. Only a quarter-of-a-million square feet of sound stage exists in preliminary plans, but video gaming space, a 9,000-seat auditorium and a glass-enclosed 25,000-capacity concert venue are included.

Estimates for the cost of the studio range from $90-300 million, including the $10 million for the land acquisition over a 20-year lease. The lot is located along Interstate 16 near Old River Road in the extreme southern portion of Effingham County near Bloomingdale and Pooler, with easy access to both Savannah Hilton Head International Airport and Downtown Savannah. Construction is expected to begin by June and the studio is expected to create 1,000 jobs.

Medient is a Los Angeles based, publicly listed company with strong ties to India. Plans are ambitious, but still vague as no timeline yet exists and the master plan has yet to be submitted to Effingham County. The Effingham County Industrial Authority has already voted unanimously to approve plans. While it is hard to imagine that the final product will be on the same scale in terms of design, these studios are nonetheless great news for Metro Savannah and Georgia's film industry alike.

Around town for the 2012 Savannah Film Festival

The Trustees Theatre marquee.

It's been nearly two months since the Savannah Film Festival took place, but many of the films that screened there are just now hitting cinema screens, keeping memories of Georgia's most prestigious film festival afresh. Oscar contenders like "Silver Linings Playbook," "Flight," "Rust & Bone" and "Amour" all played the festival and stars like John Goodman, Diane Lane, Michelle Monaghan, James Gandolfini, Gabourey Sidibe, Matt Dillon and Stan Lee all graced us with their presence this year. It was a great eight days. Here are some pictures I shot during the festival with some miscellaneous shots from around town thrown in.

The Savannah Film Festival mystery Director's Choice screening

Crowds gather outside the Trustees Theatre on Broughton Street

One of the most anticipated events at the Savannah Film Festival each year is the Director's Choice screening, a surprise film that is only announced as it lights up the screen at the Trustees Theatre. Last year, "The Muppets" had its world premiere as the Director's Choice film. Doing some research, I learned that plenty of high profile films have filled the slot in years past. 

In 2010, Robert Redford's Savannah-filmed "The Conspirator" was screened. Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air" surprised on the big screen in 2009. There wasn't a director's choice film for 2008, but Oscar-nominated animated film "Persepolis" was the chosen selection in 2007. Pedro Almodovar's "Volver" held the honors in 2006, with Woody Allen's "Match Point" selected in 2005.

What is the chosen film this year? It's anyone's guess! Murmurings of "Lincoln," "Hitchcock" and "Life of Pi" can be heard around town. After last year's family-friendly fare, Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph" has also been mentioned. Will it be one of the film's I mentioned before the festival's lineup was announced? "Silver Linings Playbook," "Flight," "Quartet," "Rust & Bone," The Sapphires" and "Amour" were all correct guesses.

Follow us on Twitter to find out as soon as the projector starts to roll!