The South Georgia Film Festival announced its 2024 award winners and additional screenings. Georgia filmmakers had a big night, with Best of Fest winner going to Hudson Phillips’ GUACAMOLE YESTERDAYS and Best of Georgia going to THE DAY THAT SHOOK GEORGIA by Patrick Longstreth. The South Georgia Film Festival has partnered with Wiregrass Technical College for two screenings Wednesday, March 6 at 2 pm and 6 pm of the winning films.

Along with the two top awards, recognition was given to films across the categories. GUACAMOLE YESTERDAYS also won for Best Feature Film. Matthew Hashiguchi’s THE ONLY DOCTOR captured the award for Best Feature Documentary. Georgia based Vanishing Angle captured Best Narrative Short with SHADOW BROTHER SUNDAY directed by Alden Ehrenreich. Sunflower County Film Academy, along with Florida State professor Brian Graves and Pablo Correa, captured the Documentary Short category with the film AN ARMY RISING UP. Recognized in the Best Animation category, Ryotaro Sawada and Agatha Tiara Christa of Savannah College of Art & Design won for GORO GORO. Florida State student Raven Carter won for Best Graduate Narrative with the film WHITEWASHED. Georgia native and current University of Southern California student Shannon Morrall won for Best Graduate Documentary for SPEAR.SPATULA.SUBMARINE. Keith Cohen’s documentary about service animals, HEALING PAWS, recognized for Undergraduate Student Fillm. DEAN’S LIST by Kennedy Reid of Savannah recognized for High School Student Film. Due to the number of International films, JUST… from Kazikstan by Amir Kaken recognized for International Short Film. Danielle Beverly’s film QATAR STARS was recognized for International Feature Film. The judges also recognized William H. Capps for his Set Design for the film IN THE PINES, and Safiya Songhai for Social Impact with her film INTERCEPTION – JAYNE KENNEDY AMERICAN SPORTSCASTER.

“We are lucky to be able to partner with Wiregrass Technical College and have them screen a collection of these winning films on their campus,” said Jason Brown, Festival Director of the South Georgia Film Festival. “With two screenings, Wednesday March 6, folks that were unable to attend the weekend will have another opportunity to see the films.”

This year’s winners were determined by a wide variety of judges – both nationally recognized professionals and local community members. Along with screening their films and participating in panels, this year’s judges included director Dan Mirvish, Nic LaRue of Film Snobbery, Betsy Kaplin of University of Central Florida, author Heather Hale, Georgia Film Academy instructor Nicole Kemper, screenwriter Marti King Young, set designer Segrio Sanchez Selva, and previous SGFF winners Kyle Taubken and Costas Karalis.

Local judges include Kendrick King of Lowndes High School, Tim Drexler and John Patten of Wiregrass Technical College, and Jessica Ganas of the Lowndes County Courthouse.

This year’s festival included over forty visiting filmmakers from as far as California and as near as a student from Cook County. The festival added to the local economy with hotel stays, gasoline purchases, and food.

“The growth of the film industry in South Georgia is about how it can help feed the other parts of our economy as well,” Brown said.

Promoting the art and industry of filmmaking, the South Georgia Film Festival will begin accepting submissions starting in April 2024. Next year’s festival will take place March 7, 8, & 9, 2025.

This year’s festival could not happen without the support of our community sponsors, including Georgia Power, Valdosta State University, the Wal-Mart Community Grant, the Georgia Film Office, Wild Adventures, the Turner Center for the Arts, Georgia Production Partnership, the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Association, Creative Vein Studios, Downtown Social, Lowndes County, and Film Impact Georgia.

For more information on the South Georgia Film Festival, visit SouthGeorgiaFilm.com or contact Prof. Jason Brown at 229-219-1298 or [email protected].