SAVANNAH, Ga. — On Thursday morning, the 2026 Academy Award nominations were unveiled, showcasing a remarkable presence of films that had previously graced the 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival. Impressively, 26 of the festival’s screened films garnered a total of 89 nominations. In addition, 23 of these nominees had taken a stroll down Savannah’s red carpet just last October.

Among the celebrated films, eight out of the ten contenders for Best Picture—namely Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, and Sinners—were shown at SCAD.

“The magic of welcoming the world’s most acclaimed filmmakers and storytellers to Savannah allows our students and alumni to see their aspirations come to life on the silver screen,” expressed Christina Routhier, the Senior Executive Director of SCAD Theaters and Festivals. “The festival annually reaffirms SCAD’s role as a nexus of creativity and opportunity. We take immense pride in witnessing our community’s impact on the global cinematic stage. This isn’t just an event; it’s a tribute to imagination, commitment, and SCAD’s enduring influence on cinema’s future.”

The event was graced by several nominees, including Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Best Actress), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value, Best Supporting Actress), Malgosia Turzanska (Hamnet, Best Costume Design), Autumn Durald Arkapaw and Hannah Beachler (Sinners, Best Cinematography and Best Production Design), and Clint Bentley (Train Dreams, Best Adapted Screenplay), among others.

This year also introduced a groundbreaking Academy Award® category for Casting. Notably, nominees Jennifer Venditti (Marty Supreme) and Cassandra Kulukundis (One Battle After Another) were present at the festival. This milestone underscores SCAD’s unique status as the sole university globally with a professional casting office and an academic minor in casting.

SCAD alumnus Nathan Engelhardt (B.F.A., Animation, 2007) earned an Oscar® nomination for Evergreen (Best Animated Short Film), while SCAD Chair of Film and Television DW Moffett appeared in One Battle After Another, which received 13 nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing and Best Casting.

The 98th Academy Awards will be given out March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Complete List of Nominees In Attendance at the 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival

• Joshua Seftel, Best Documentary Short, All The Empty Rooms
• Rose Byrne, Best Actress, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
• Cassandra Kulukundis, Best Casting, One Battle After Another
• Andy Jurgensen, Best Editing, One Battle After Another
• Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Best Cinematography, Sinners
• Hannah Beachler, Best Production Design, Sinners
• Shunika Terry, Best Makeup And Hairstyling, Sinners
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Best Supporting Actress, Sentimental Value
• Jennifer Venditti, Best Casting, Marty Supreme
• Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, Best Animated Feature, Kpop Demon Hunters
• EJAE, Best Original Song, Kpop Demon Hunters
• Malgosia Turzanska, Best Costume Design, Hamnet
• Clint Bentley, Best Adapted Screenplay, Train Dreams
• Andrew Jarecki, Best Documentary Feature, The Alabama Solution
• Charlotte Kaufman, Best Documentary Feature, The Alabama Solution
• Ryan White, Best Documentary Feature, Come See Me In The Good Light
• Geeta Gandbhir, Best Documentary Feature, The Perfect Neighbor
• Alisa Payne, Best Documentary Feature, The Perfect Neighbor
• Ugo Bienvenu, Best Animated Feature, Arco
• Domee Shi, Best Animated Feature, Elio
• Maïlys Vallade, Best Animated Feature, Little Amelie
• Nathan Engelhardt (B.F.A., animation, 2007), Best Animated Short, Evergreen

This year SCAD will celebrate 29th SCAD Savannah Film Festival October 24-31.  Passes are now on sale for the. Tickets will go on sale Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.