EW reveals Breaking Big honorees for 2025 SCAD Film Festival

Just as the new schoolyear gets into full swing, a new class has emerged as Entertainment Weekly‘s Breaking Big honorees at the 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival.

Julia Butters (Freakier Friday), Tati Gabrielle (The Last of Us), Tonatiuh (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Grace Van Patten (The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, Tell Me Lies), and Tyriq Withers (Him) will all join EW this year at the Savannah College of Art and Design’s annual festival.

This year’s SCAD Film Festival takes place Oct. 25-Nov. 1, and will also include dozens of screenings of recent and upcoming movie releases — including festival opener Eternity, for which actor Miles Teller will receive the Distinguished Performance Award, joined on stage by and costar and festival honored guest Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

Song Sung Blue is the festival’s Centerpiece Gala screening, with director Craig Brewer to receive the Spotlight Director Award.

The festival will close with director Rian Johnson receiving the Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award at a screening of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

Receiving honors alongside the aforementioned talent are…

• Luminary Award recipients Will Arnett (Is This Thing On?) and Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You)
• Rising Star Award recipient Miles Caton (Sinners)
• Vanguard Director Award recipient Jon M. Chu (Wicked: For Good)
• Breakthrough Performance Award recipient Zoey Deutch (Nouvelle Vague)
• Vanguard Award recipient Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams)
• Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Mark Hamill (The Life of Chuck)
• Icon Award recipient Oscar Isaac (Frankenstein)
• Virtuoso Award recipient Jennifer Lopez (Kiss of the Spider Woman)
• Lumiere Award recipient Dylan O’Brien (Twinless)
• Maverick Director Award recipient Benny Safdie (The Smashing Machine)
• Distinguished Performance Award recipient Tessa Thompson (Hedda)

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