SCAD Savannah Film Festival announces 2025 lineup
The Savannah College of Art and Design will host the 28th annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1, featuring 167 films and a slate of industry panels, screenings and special events.
The nation’s largest university-run film festival will showcase 56 narrative features, 15 documentary features and 96 short films, including seven world premieres and three U.S. premieres. The event serves as an early stop on the Academy Awards circuit and has screened more than 225 Oscar-nominated titles over its history.
This year’s gala screenings include “Eternity,” “Song Sung Blue” and “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.” Additional selections feature films by directors Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper, Guillermo del Toro and Chloé Zhao.
Festival highlights include the Docs to Watch and Pixels and Pencils series, as well as the Behind Their Lens and Below the Line panel discussions. Students from SCAD’s film, acting, animation and design programs will participate in workshops and sessions with visiting professionals.
SCAD President Paula Wallace said the event turns Savannah into a “master class in moviemaking,” bringing students together with major talent including Jennifer Lopez, Mark Hamill and director Jon M. Chu.
— Derek Prall
South Fulton fire chief named president of Georgia fire chiefs association
City of South Fulton Fire Chief Chad Jones has been appointed president of the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs after more than 30 years in fire service across the state.
Jones, who joined South Fulton’s Fire and Rescue Department in 2021, will begin a two-year term following his swearing-in during the association’s annual conference on Oct. 3. The Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs, founded in 1970, represents leaders from career, combination and volunteer departments and is managed by the Georgia Municipal Association in Atlanta.
As president, Jones will guide statewide initiatives focused on interagency coordination, legislative advocacy and strategic planning for Georgia’s fire service community.
City Manager Sharon Subadan said Jones has strengthened South Fulton’s department through innovation and accountability. Public Safety Director Cedric Alexander called the appointment a reflection of Jones’s leadership and contributions to the profession.
Jones said he is honored to serve and looks forward to advancing collaboration across the state’s fire service. His appointment follows six years in association leadership roles, including vice president positions that involved policy development and stakeholder engagement.
— Derek Prall
Angela Evans elected chair of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra board
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra has elected Angela Evans as chair of its Board of Directors, succeeding Patrick Viguerie, who will continue to serve as immediate past chair.
Evans has been a board member since 2018 and previously served as board secretary for three years. She has been involved with symphony organizations since childhood, attending performances by the Dallas Symphony and later holding season tickets for the Fort Worth Symphony.
Executive Director Jennifer Barlament said Evans’s commitment and leadership have helped strengthen the orchestra’s mission to provide transformative musical experiences. Evans said she hopes to build on the orchestra’s recent successes and foster unity among musicians, staff, and audiences.
Her election follows the orchestra’s completion of a new three-year contract with its musicians in September.
Evans is a partner at Ernst & Young with more than 35 years of experience in corporate taxation and accounting for income taxes. She currently serves as the Americas director of tax accounting and risk advisory services and as senior advisory partner for several Fortune 10 companies. She also sits on the board of the Pacific Tax Policy Institute and is a frequent speaker on corporate tax and governance issues.
— Derek Prall
Dad’s Garage plans New York reading of ‘Invasion: Christmas Carol’
Dad’s Garage Theatre will present an exclusive live reading of its original production “Invasion: Christmas Carol” in New York on Nov. 3 to raise funds for a future off-Broadway run. Two readings will take place at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at 1601 Broadway.
The event will feature Amber Nash, Tim Stoltenberg, Kevin Gillese, Freddy Boyd and Karen Cassady, with direction by Sean Daniels. The hybrid scripted-improv show reimagines “A Christmas Carol” with a surprise guest character appearing in each performance. Previous “invaders” have included Ursula from “The Little Mermaid” and Princess Leia from “Star Wars.”
Full performances of the show will return to Dad’s Garage in Atlanta from Nov. 28 through Dec. 30, running Thursday through Saturday nights. Tom Rittenhouse will star as Ebenezer Scrooge, directed by Rueben Medina and Cassady.
Special performances include Pride Night on Dec. 6, Hanukkah Night on Dec. 18 and ASL Night on Dec. 27. Family-friendly matinees are scheduled for Dec. 13, 20 and 27. Tickets range from $33 to $58 and are available here.
— Derek Prall
Atlanta Opera opens season with Verdi’s ‘La traviata’
The Atlanta Opera will open its 2025-26 mainstage season with Giuseppe Verdi’s “La traviata,” running Nov. 8, 11, 14 and 16 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
The production, directed by Francesca Zambello, tells the story of Violetta, a courtesan who sacrifices love for family and societal expectations. The opera features Verdi’s well-known arias “Libiamo” and “Sempre libera,” and continues the enduring theme of love tested by class and convention.
Soprano Mané Galoyan will perform as Violetta, tenor Long Long as Alfredo and baritone Anthony Clark Evans as Giorgio Germont. Evan Rogister, former principal conductor of Washington National Opera, will make his debut with the company.
General and Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun said the production will feature “some of the most dazzling voices of our time” and praised the creative team’s collaboration.
“La traviata” will be performed in Italian with English supertitles. Tickets start at $35 and are available here or by phone at 404-881-8885. Discounts are offered for students, young professionals, veterans and groups.
— Derek Prall
