The 29th SCAD Savannah Film Festival ran Oct. 24-31, 2026, with Helen Mirren on opening night. SCAD has not posted 2027 dates; this page will be updated.

Last checked Nov. 2, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address.

Updated Nov. 2: the 2026 festival has ended. SCAD’s press page has not yet posted the 2026 audience and competition award winners or 2027 dates; we will add them when it does.

The 2026 festival is over. The 29th SCAD Savannah Film Festival ran Saturday, Oct. 24, to Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, mainly at SCAD’s Lucas Theatre for the Arts and Trustees Theater downtown, SCAD said. The festival runs each fall, and 2027 dates have not been announced.

Quick answer

  • Dates: Saturday, Oct. 24, to Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026 (past); 2027 not yet announced
  • Main venues: Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St., and Lucas Theatre for the Arts, 32 Abercorn St.
  • Opening night: “A Talent for Murder,” with Helen Mirren, Saturday, Oct. 24
  • Centerpiece: “The Debut,” with Julianne Moore, Tuesday, Oct. 27
  • Closing night: “Wild Horse Nine,” Saturday, Oct. 31
  • 2026 tickets: $10 daytime, $17 evening; passes sold out
  • Box office: 216 E. Broughton St., 912-525-5050

What ran in 2026

The festival announced its lineup on Oct. 2. From SCAD’s lineup release:

  • Opening night, Saturday, Oct. 24: “A Talent for Murder,” directed by Anton Corbijn, followed by a Q&A with Helen Mirren, who receives the Legend of Entertainment Award, the festival said.
  • Centerpiece gala, Tuesday, Oct. 27: A24’s “The Debut,” directed by Jesse Eisenberg. Julianne Moore receives the Icon Award at the screening.
  • Closing night, Saturday, Oct. 31: Searchlight Pictures’ “Wild Horse Nine,” directed by Martin McDonagh.
  • Other gala and special screenings include Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth!,” Danny Boyle’s “Ink,” Mike Leigh’s “Tender Loving Care,” James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” Pedro Almodóvar’s “Bitter Christmas” and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden.”
  • Series: Docs to Watch, Pixels and Pencils (animation, with Variety), the Behind Their Lens and Below the Line panels, and professional and student competitions.

Who is being honored

SCAD’s honorees announcement lists:

  • Keanu Reeves, Legend of Cinema Award, at a screening of “The Matrix”
  • Helen Mirren, Legend of Entertainment Award
  • Julianne Moore, Icon Award
  • Paul Bettany, Virtuoso Award
  • Ethan Hawke and Sterlin Harjo, Outstanding Collaboration in Television Award
  • Gemma Chan, John Cho, Carrie Coon, Seth Rogen, Billie Piper, James Gray, Jordan Firstman, Rosalind Eleazar, Anthony Ippolito and Kane Parsons, for this year’s films
  • Emmy Rossum, Meghann Fahy, Guitarricadelafuente and production designer Patrice Vermette

SCAD later added Jessica Lange, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award, the festival said. Screening times are on the festival schedule.

Tickets and prices (2026)

Single tickets went on sale Oct. 2. From the festival’s tickets page:

Ticket General public Seniors 65+, military, students
Daytime (events before 5 p.m.) $10 $7
Evening gala (5 p.m. or later, Trustees or Lucas) $17 $12
  • SCAD Card holders get daytime events free but still need a ticket; evening galas are $12.
  • Some daytime screenings are priced differently; check each event’s page.
  • Passes are sold out: Savannah Daytime ($200), Spotlight ($350) and Marquee ($600).
  • Passholders collect passes from Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Festival HQ in the Press cafe at Jen Library, 201 E. Broughton St. Passholders must be in line 30 minutes before a film starts, and a pass does not guarantee a seat.
  • Box office: SCAD Box Office, 216 E. Broughton St., or 912-525-5050. Before the festival it is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. During the festival it opens an hour before the day’s first event and stays open through the evening events.

Getting there and parking

The two main venues sit a short walk apart in the Historic District: the Trustees Theater on Broughton Street and the Lucas Theatre on Abercorn Street at Reynolds Square. The festival does not publish its own parking advice. Downtown parking decks, garages and meters are run by the city’s Mobility and Parking Services. Before any downtown event, check our road construction and closures page.

What it means for you

  • The 2026 festival is over; this page will carry the 2027 dates, honorees and ticket prices when SCAD announces them.
  • Passes sold out before the 2026 festival opened, so plan to buy early next year.
  • Daytime screenings were the cheap way in at $10, or $7 for students, seniors and military.

More: arts and exhibitions this month and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

When is the SCAD Savannah Film Festival 2026?

The 29th festival ran Saturday, Oct. 24, through Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, according to SCAD. It is over for this year, and SCAD has not posted 2027 dates.

How much are SCAD Savannah Film Festival tickets?

In 2026, daytime events before 5 p.m. were $10, or $7 for seniors 65 and over, military and students. Evening galas at 5 p.m. or later in the Trustees Theater or the Lucas Theatre were $17, or $12 for seniors, military, students and SCAD Card holders. Some screenings were priced differently.

Are festival passes still available?

Not for 2026: the festival is over. All three 2026 passes, Savannah Daytime ($200), Spotlight ($350) and Marquee ($600), sold out before it began.

Where do I buy tickets?

In 2026 tickets were sold through the festival schedule at filmfest.scad.edu, at the SCAD Box Office, 216 E. Broughton St., or by phone at 912-525-5050. The box office also sells SCAD theater events year-round.

Who came to the 2026 festival?

SCAD’s announced honorees included Helen Mirren, Julianne Moore, Keanu Reeves, Paul Bettany, Ethan Hawke, Gemma Chan, John Cho, Carrie Coon, Seth Rogen and Jessica Lange, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award.