Local talent shone bright at the South Georgia Film Festival (SGFF), as Guacamole Yesterdays by Hudson Phillips secured the prestigious Best of Fest title, while Patrick Longstreth’s The Day That Shook Georgia secured the Best of Georgia title. 

In addition to the top honors, various films were acknowledged across different categories. Guacamole Yesterdays was not only awarded the Best of Fest but also secured the title of Best Feature Film. 

Matthew Hashiguchi’s The Only Doctor claimed the prize for Best Feature Documentary.

Shadow Brother Sunday, directed by Alden Ehrenreich and produced by Georgia-based studio Vanishing Angle, earned the distinction of Best Narrative Short. 

The Documentary Short category was conquered by the Sunflower County Film Academy, in collaboration with Florida State professors Brian Graves and Pablo Correa, with their film An Army Rising Up.

In the animation realm, Ryotaro Sawada and Agatha Tiara Christa from the Savannah College of Art & Design triumphed with Goro Goro. 

Raven Carter, a student at Florida State, garnered recognition for Best Graduate Narrative with her film Whitewashed, while Shannon Morrall, a Georgia native currently attending the University of Southern California, clinched the title of Best Graduate Documentary with Spear.Spatula.Submarine. 

The panel of judges consisted of nationally renowned experts and local film industry members, who not only evaluated films but also screened their own projects and hosted panels. Among them were Nicole Kemper from the Georgia Film Academy, screenwriter Marti King Young, set designer Segrio Sanchez Selva, director Dan Mirvish, Nic LaRue from Film Snobbery, Betsy Kaplin from the University of Central Florida, author Heather Hale, as well as past SGFF awardees Kyle Taubken and Costas Karalis. 

Submissions for the 2025 edition of the SGFF open in April, 2024!

To learn more about the festival, visit the SGFF Website!