You know those large annual events that your community always has but you’ve never attended? Maybe it’s the annual summer block party your neighborhood has, the big dance at your school, or the big BBQ your church throws. Yet for whatever reason, you never go. Well not this year sista! This year you decide to go and see what all the hype is, and you know what ? You have such an amazing time! Leaving, you’re probably thinking “why didn’t I do this sooner?!” Well ladies those were the exact words I said only days ago after having one of the best nights of my life at the Savannah Film Festival.
Every year the Savannah Film Festival roles around, there seems to be a bit more excitement in the air. Shops are busier than ever, the red carpet is rolled out in front of the theater, students are randomly walking around Broughton Street hoping they run into someone #famous. It’s such an awesome time, and yet I have never actually been a part of it. Until this year. The Savannah Film Festival is an annual event that is run through Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). It’s a week long event that showcases different types of films; from a variety of competition films submitted by students, signature screenings, panel discussions and workshop led by renowned people in the industry, and the list continues.
Though the film festival can be quiet casual, when it comes to the night showings people more times then not go the more dressy route. Since rain was making an on and off appearance, to be safe I wore a little black dress with my favorite red coat from Calvin Klein. Paired with some black fux leather heals and a black bag and girl I was ready to go!
I decided to go to the 7 o’clock premier for the movie “Spotlight”. A movie based off true events about a Boston newspaper team that undergoes an investigation on the rising of numerous reports and allegations of abuse, from inside the Catholic Church. Without giving anything away, let me just say that the movie defiantly sparked some conversation. There was drama, there was mystery, and a bit of humor that wasn’t too much in your face but was a good bit of relief from the tension that the movie brought forth.
Yet it was after the film screening where the magic really happened for me. Seeing everyone coming out of the theater in the Savannah night sky, raving about the film, chatting amongst their peers, taking photos on the red carpet. It was like a little part of Hollywood life was some how bestowed on Savannah. After taking a few pictures on the red carpet, me and a friend drove over to the reception just to see what was going on. What gave me goose bumps about the reception was not the fancy venue or the elegant finger food, but the amazing comradery between students, professors, special guest and top professionals alike. My favorite moment was seeing my friend meet and network with Dax Phelan, who directed and produced one of the signature screenings for the film festival Jasmine. As well as seeing him interact with film producer Stratton Leopold, a man that my friend has been inspired by for years (he didn’t even know that Leopold was going to be there!). To think that I almost would have missed all this! I talked to one film student about her thoughts on the festival and she simply put it,“ It makes all the negative, as well as all the all-nighters… worth it”.