2009 Savannah Film Festival Closes Nov. 7 with Special Screenings of 'The Hurt Locker' and 'Precious''

2009 Savannah Film Festival Closes Nov. 7 with Special Screenings of 'The Hurt
Locker' and 'Precious''
Jeremy Renner of "The Hurt Locker" Receives the Spotlight Award

SAVANNAH, Ga., Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The 12th annual Savannah Film Festival,
hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design, closed tonight, Saturday,
November 7 after a full week of special screenings and award presentations.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091107/DC07371 )

Film Festival attendees were treated to screenings of the intense war film
"The Hurt Locker," and the powerful urban tale "Precious: Based on the Novel
Push by Sapphire." In addition, the star of "The Hurt Locker," Jeremy Renner,
was presented with the 2009 Spotlight Award for his performance in the film.

Speaking to a full-house, including student and commercial film competition
award winners announced earlier this evening, Renner graciously accepted his
award, stating, "I'm terrified standing here right now amongst so much talent
accepting this Spotlight Award...I'm truly honored to be here. I share this
with all of you."

Renner has starred in several major independent films, including "Dahmer,"
which earned him his first Independent Spirit Award Best Actor nomination, as
well as 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" and "28
Weeks Later." Other films include "S.W.A.T.," "North Country" and the
upcoming crime drama, "The Town."

In "The Hurt Locker" Renner stars as Sergeant First Class William James, the
new team leader of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit, a group of elite
soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs
in the heat of combat. The film follows their tour together as they content
with defusing bombs, the threat of insurgency and the tension that develops
between them.

Closing the festival was the acclaimed film, "Precious: Push: Based on the
Novel by Sapphire," directed by Lee Daniels and starring Gabourey 'Gabby'
Sidibe. "Precious" is the powerful story of a young urban teenager enduring
unimaginable hardships who, with creativity, humor, and ferocity, finds the
strength to turn her life around. Daniels was in Savannah to attend the
closing night festivities and participate in a Q&A following the screening of
the movie.

For more information, visit www.scad.edu/filmfest.

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

The Savannah College of Art and Design is the most comprehensive art and
design university in the world, offering more degree programs and
specializations than any other art and design university. SCAD is a private,
nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor's and master's degrees
in distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for
professional careers. SCAD offers students a choice of degree programs in 46
majors and more than 50 minors at locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia;
in Lacoste, France; online through SCAD eLearning; and in Hong Kong beginning
Fall 2010.

SCAD offers an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. The
diverse student body of more than 9,900 comes from all 50 United States and
nearly 100 countries worldwide. Each student is nurtured and motivated by a
faculty of more than 650 professors with extraordinary academic credentials
and valuable professional experience. These faculty emphasize learning through
individual attention in an inspiring university environment. SCAD provides an
innovative curriculum enhanced by advanced, professional-level technology,
equipment and learning resources. SCAD has garnered acclaim from respected
organizations and publications, including BusinessWeek, American Institute of
Architects, DesignIntelligence, U.S. News & World Report and Los Angeles
Times.

For more information, visit scad.edu.

SOURCE Savannah College of Art and Design

Jennifer Bins, Media Relations Manager, Savannah College of Art and Design,
+1-404-406-0270, jbins@scad.edu