Followed by the success of SCAD TVfest and SCAD TVfest: Reality this winter, SCADFILM and the Savannah College of Art and Design are proud to announce the expansion of its newest industry focused programming series, which will return Thursday, March 28, with SCAD TVfest: News & Docs.
Inspired by SCAD TVfest — Georgia’s only festival dedicated to all things television and streaming — SCADFILM launched a new series of one-day spotlights on trending TV topics and production in January with SCAD TVfest: Reality, a deeper look at the expansive world of unscripted television. Five new installments in this insightful SCADFILM series will welcome industry luminaries and special guests for screenings and panel discussions. The next event, March’s SCAD TVfest: News & Docs, will investigate the world of breaking news media and documentary filmmaking.
“SCAD TVfest is one of our most popular signature events with both students and industry professionals, so the inspiration behind this series is to create compelling conversation and education throughout the year,” said Leigh Seaman, senior executive director of SCADFILM. “With continued entertainment production growth in Georgia, we are uniquely positioned to host this curated series.”
SCAD TVfest returned for its 12th edition Feb. 7–10, 2024 at SCAD Atlanta, connecting students, fans, and professionals with industry innovators, legends, and leaders. Both SCAD TVfest and SCAD TVfest: Reality were hosted at SCADshow, the university’s new, state-of-the-art theater complex in Midtown Atlanta. SCADshow will host all upcoming SCAD TVfest installments:
Thursday, March 28: News & Docs
Friday, April 19: Writing for Television
Friday, May 10: Fashion on the Small Screen
Friday, July 12: True Crime
Friday, Oct. 11: Comedy
SCAD TVfest: News & Docs
From fast-paced, in-the-moment coverage of breaking events to the in-depth, compelling stories about real people and events, news shows, documentaries, and the teams behind them carry the important responsibility to keep the public informed and knowledgeable about the world around them. SCAD TVfest: News & Docs includes screenings, panels, and behind-the-scenes discussions.
12:30 p.m. | The Making of Surviving Clotilda
Screening and Filmmaker Q&A
In July 1860, the schooner Clotilda slipped quietly into the dark waters of Mobile, Ala., holding 110 Africans stolen from their homes and families, smuggled across the sea, and illegally imported to be sold into slavery. Surviving Clotilda is the extraordinary story of the last slave ship ever to reach America’s shores: the brash captain who built and sailed her, the wealthy white businessman whose bet set the cruel plan in motion, and the 110 men, women, and children whose resilience turned horror into hope. This remarkable film was created in coordination with the City of Mobile by students in SCADpro, the university’s creative consultancy and innovation design studio.
The screening will be followed by a filmmaker conversation and Q&A.
Panelists
Kathryn Jamieson (B.F.A., film and television, 2023), producer
Rachel Taylor (B.F.A., film and television, 2022), narrator
Jennifer Hyde, SCAD film and television professor and SCADpro project lead
2:30 p.m. | Breaking Down Breaking News
Panel Discussion and Q&A
When breaking news occurs, an army of production and programming staff is mobilized behind the scenes to provide coverage across all platforms. Whether it’s a landmark court verdict, a catastrophic weather event, a global hostage situation, or a major crime, these contributors to telling the story in real time include producers, directors, camera operators, location managers, art directors, graphic designers, writers, fact-checkers and more. Go behind the scenes with panelists from CNN and The Weather Channel as they break down the process of covering the most urgent news stories.
Panelists:
John Antonio, former senior vice president of programming, CNN
Paul Goodloe, on-camera meteorologist and co-host of Weekend Recharge
5:30 p.m. | No Ordinary Life
Screening and Filmmaker Q&A
Witness a powerful portrayal of journalism on the frontlines at a screening of Heather O’Neill’s insightful documentary No Ordinary Life. O’Neill’s film explores the impressive accomplishments and work of five brave women journalists who placed themselves on the frontlines of global conflicts and in precarious situations to capture and present the objective truth no matter the circumstances. O’Neill weaves starkly dramatic footage of these precarious assignments with revealing testimonies and recollections of the risks these took — as well as the camaraderie they created amongst one another while in a dangerous line of work.
The screening will be followed by a filmmaker conversation and Q&A.
Panelists:
Heather O’Neill, director
Rich Brooks, cinematographer and producer
Tickets for each session are free for SCAD students, faculty, and staff, $5 for SCAD alumni, and $10 for the general public. For more information and to purchase tickets for upcoming sessions, visit the official event site. Programming topics are subject to change.
